Fairytale Cafe
by Happymeday
Summary: AU. Kyouko moves to America and owns a cafe, and one day a stranger with blond hair and green eyes comes in and changes her life. She remembers her past, wonders about her future, and she changes this stranger's life forever, along with a few others.
1. Kuon

**Edited: 2/2/14**

**A/N: Some backstory! Kyouko was betrayed, but instead of seeking revenge she sought to find her own life again. To turn to another dream. For a few years Kyouko trained under Taisho in Tokyo, before depression caught up to her and she became desperate to leave. Taisho then recommended she work for his brother in New York, and to Kyouko she figured it was far enough away to avoid her past. **

**Kuon denied the Lory's help when he was younger, and eventually, wallowing in his own misery, he figured it was time to become an adult anyways. He took over managing several businesses and became rather successful, if bitter, jaded, and miserable. **

**As Kyouko was never there to kickstart LOVEMe, Kanae never get her chance to debut. All other agencies turned her away, and frustrated she decided to go elsewhere. New York seemed a likely place, what with her parents having spent enough time there she thought it wasn't far off that she should go to. Nonetheless, she still failed auditions, and eventually ended up working part time in Kyouko's cafe.**

**Kuon is 24, Kyouko 20, and Kanae 20(?)**

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Cafe<strong>

* * *

><p>A group of teenagers he passed by giggled loudly and squealed, hiding behind each other as they eyed him. Their squeals knocked inside his head, making his headache even worse. He pulled his cap lower, shadowing his green eyes and covering his blond hair. It wasn't fair. Some men would die to get a girl's attention like he did, and he didn't even want it. At one point he had appreciated their admiring eyes, even going so far as to wink and wave, but in recent years he found their constant flirtation to be annoying.<p>

He scanned the street he walked on, seeking shelter. Clouds were gathering above, stormy and looking like they were about to open up and pour buckets of water on him. There, he spotted it. It was perfect.

Hurrying across the street – grateful for the low-traffic – he stopped in front of a little cafe, seemingly out of place among the New York skyscrapers, apartments, and buildings, standing out among the dull gray surroundings.

Immediately he liked it. The cafe was nondescript, and seemed alive with nature, which he missed living in the metropolis. The outside was fairly odd, almost impossible. Green ivy curled around the two-story building, creeping up from long low deep red pots, covering the walls in artful designs that exposed the wall underneath, a warm home-coming like scarlet-brown. The ivy occasionally sprouted a cluster of flowers, which varied in color and shape.

Looking a bit over the door, he saw a wooden sign hanging off a wire post intertwined with ivy, which read, "**Fairytale Cafe: Kyouko**_". __Fairytale?_ Well, many people wouldn't come here in the first place, and he needed coffee; badly.

He walked in, and suddenly, he didn't care if it was a "fairytale" cafe. He did not want to leave.

The walls inside were encased between wooden beams, and were a soft green, with a low ceiling and lights hanging even lower, and yet were high enough that even he, who was one of the tallest person he knew, could walk without ducking. Thick lush green ivy climbed down the lights, sprouting flowers along the edge of the lamp shades.

There were dark brown wooden floors, iron wrought tables with delicate complicated filigree designs, seeming to grow and mold into their wooden tops. Inside was warm, with a gentle breeze from the fans high and close to the ceiling, their rotating paddles the exact same wooden style of the floor and wooden beams.

On the outside, the cafe had seemed small, even stuffy, but inside? It was much bigger. In the far upper right corner was a half-wall, with an open space which showed a girl cooking, the kitchen surrounding her sparkling brown and black. Next to the kitchen, barely discernible through the half-wall gap, were a set of staircases beyond customer access. He briefly wondered if someone lived here.

To the left of the kitchen, were a long set of glass counters, displaying delicious cakes and pastries, and hanging on the wall were a set of menus, listing various foods, desserts, entrees, and other dishes he couldn't name.

Manning the cash register - which was iron and old, yet still classy - was a long raven haired woman, who glared at him for no particular reason. A few customers were scattered throughout the shop, in the booths, on the tables, or relaxing and chatting on the sofas to the right of him.

He stood there, absorbing it all, before moving to sit in one of the booths by the front window. They looked to be wooden, but once in them he found small cushions stuck to them, which made it more comfortable. He leaned against the cushion, relaxing, when a girl's voice piped up next to him.

"Are you okay sir? Do you need anything?"

He looked next to him, and saw the other girl from the kitchen. Closer up, he could see her startling golden eyes, which contrasted sharply with her midnight black hair. He nodded slowly, before straightening from his relaxed pose.

"Yes, I'd like a coffee."

"How would you like it?" The girl chirped, holding her serving tray against her legs.

"Black with one spoon of sugar."

The girl frowned, nodded, before leaving to the kitchen. He glanced around, thanking the gods that there were older patrons and no squealing younger, available, women. He took off his hat, shaking his blond hair out, running a hand through the damp strands. He placed his briefcase and hat by his side, before resting his elbows on the wooden table and his head in his hands, fingers rubbing soothing circles into his temples.

He was exhausted.

Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen, and despite his usually small petite, they made him realize just how hungry he was. He had a very light dinner the night before, _had _skipped breakfast, and had only bitten an apple before throwing it away. Of course he was hungry.

The waitress suddenly reappeared, setting before him a tall glass of water and a plate of warm food. She smiled, "I know you asked for coffee, but you seem very tired, and you need proper energy, not caffeine. You're dehydrated from lack of water, and you need food. Please eat," a hesitant smile here, and then, "it's on the house." The girl bowed, before walking to the counter.

He watched her go, slightly amazed and how she read him so well. At the counter, the long haired girl badgered the waitress, who laughed it off and went back into the kitchen.

He looked at the food before him, and its delicious smells enticed him to pick up his fork and eat.

He was a goner.

It was sooo _good. _Who was the chef? This was better than most five-star restaurant he'd been to, and this was a small cafe! He ate more, realizing truly how starved his body was, and drank the water like there was no tomorrow. Even the water was good. But, sadly, he normally never ate a lot, and so he had to leave behind some of (most of) the delicious food.

The waitress reappeared, and picked up the plate, refilled his glass half-way, and disappeared. He drank half of the water, looked outside, and realized it was raining heavily. He hadn't even noticed.

The girl reappeared again, set a plate of something small, and left again.

He didn't want to be rude and tell her he was full when she was generously offering him free food, but once again the smells tempted him to pick up his spoon, dip a bit of it into the weird jello-bread thing, and eat.

It was light and soft, not at all going to fill him up, and it was _delicious_, again.

He ate it almost all, leaving only morsels this time, before the girl came again, took his water, and left a warm cup of coffee, exactly to his taste.

He slowly sipped the coffee, watching the rain slide down the window in heavy patterns. Outside, the world was dreary and gray, inside it was alive and bright, and he knew he would remember this place forever.

He set the cup down, and realized it was almost gone. He looked around for the waitress and found her setting a long oval plate of square cookies and several mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table for the ladies sitting on the couches around it.

She looked up, caught his eye, and walked over.

"Thank you." He said. "All of this... it was delicious. Can I meet the cook?"

She blushed prettily, and something made it hard to swallow. Her eyes twinkled. "You're talking to her now."

His eyes widened considerably, and he remembered seeing her in the kitchen earlier. "You made all of this irresistible food?" He asked, staring at how young she was. Didn't good cooking require years of training or something?

She nodded.

He followed suit slowly, before blurting, "How did you know I was hungry? Or tired? Or that I needed water?"

She blushed again, and he found her endearing. Like a little sister. "When you came in, your shoulders were sagging like you were tired, and when you sat you rested your head against the back of the chair, and then in your hands. Your body was practically screaming 'I'm tired!' You should take of it better!" Her scolding threw him for a second, before he chuckled.

"So how did you know I was hungry?"

She giggled a bit, and he liked the sound of it. Like tinkling bells. "You kept looking at the menu and desserts, and the sandwich Mrs. Lag'ar had. So I figured you were hungry."

He'd been looking at food? Maybe while he was thinking...he didn't even remember.

"And how did you know I was thirsty?"

She nodded, eyes closed like she was remembering something. "You looked at the rain like you wanted to drink it, and your body generally looked dehydrated."

He was amazed, how she could read him so well, when she didn't even know him. He told her so, and she laughed. "You get to observing your customers after a while. Especially when you've owned the building for so long." She said, looking wistfully at the kitchen.

Disliking the sad set of her features, words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them. "I don't think I know your name."

She paled and bowed, "I am so sorry! I've been so rude, to talk to you so familiarly when I don't even know you! And I haven't even told you my name too! I am so incredibly sorry for being rude to you-"

He chuckled. "It's okay. How about in exchange you tell me your name, I forgive you, and tell you mine?"

She looked at him woefully for a second, before saying, "Kyouko Mogami."

He grinned boyishly. "Kuon Hizuri. Nice to meet you Kyouko."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, giggling softly to herself. "Nice to meet you Mr. Kuon."

He frowned at the "Mr." part, but let it go. He thought for a minute, and then said suddenly, "You're Japanese aren't you? Or lived there for a while?" Even as he said the words he was cringing. Could he be anymore obnoxious?

She looked at him suspiciously, before replying, "Yes, I lived in Japan until I was seventeen, and then moved here."

"Why did you move here?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and Kuon instantly regretted asking the question, though he didn't know why. "I made a stupid mistake – one that cost me my future – and so moved here to walk another path and not be burdened by the past."

He nodded thoughtfully, trying to learn more information from her vague answer. "Well then! Sounds like you had a hard past. So how did you come to cook here?"

She thought for a moment, staying standing beside his table, and he wished she would sit. He asked so, and she looked at him surprised, before smiling and complying, sliding into the seat across from him.

"I loved to cook, and the restaurant I worked at in Japan became my home after an incident. The chef there suggested going to train under his older brother in New York, and I wanted to move from my past so badly I said yes. The next thing I knew, I came here with only a passport, the clothes on my back, and the few possessions I owned from my past. It was the best thing I could have ever done. I met my best friend here, and became the owner of this shop. I love my life now, and would never give it up." She smiled brightly at him then and looked so happy, he didn't want to ask the next question that was tempted to spill from his lips. He didn't, though he asked the one after that.

"You came here to train under this chef, so where is he?"

He wanted to kick himself. Her expression was so crestfallen, he was suddenly afraid to say anything for fear of setting off the tears soon to come. She looked up at him, dry-eyed, and said, "He died three years after I came, and his wife didn't want to stay. So she gave me the place, their liquidated possessions, and followed him. I kept the place the exact same, except I renamed it, as one of their requests. I haven't used any of their money..."

She lowered her head, before reaching for a thick cord around her neck, tugging and pulling out a necklace, a blue stone attached to it. She lifted it up in the air with one hand, and Kuon suddenly had déjà vu.

_She lifted the stone to the light with one hand, twisted her wrist slightly, and watched in silent awe as the light hit the stone and shone green-yellow light through the blue stone._

He remembered her. But it was impossible, he was in America! He'd met Kyouko in Kyoto, Japan! How could she be here? But he remembered the stone, the golden eyes, the happy one-of-a-kind smile.

He remembered her, Kyouko.

She looked through the now green-yellow stone, her face slowly lighting up, before lowering her arm. She looked to the left of them and smiled cheerfully, cheeks flushed and eyes happy. He followed suit, turning his gaze and jumping in shock when he saw the other girl at the cash register standing next to him, glaring daggers.

"What did you do?" She barked, pushing her face into his, and he leaned away from her in the seat.

Kyouko giggled. "Moko-san! Don't worry! I was telling Mr. Kuon why I came to America!"

"Moko-san" whipped her head to Kyouko, and he watched as her gaze visibly softened, though her face remained frowning. She looked back at him, and he decided to speak up.

"Ah, Moko-san-"

The woman growled. "Mo! My name is not Moko-san! That's the nickname this idiot calls me!" She jabbed an accusing finger at Kyoko, who giggled.

"Mr. Kuon," Kyouko said, "She is the best friend I told you about! Her name is Kanae Kotonami. She works part-time as she looks for work as a-"

Kanae slapped a hand across Kyouko's mouth, screeching, "Don't tell him! Mo! He could be some creepy stalker and you're over here spilling your guts!"

Kyouko's eyes watered, and a muffled "I'm sorry!" over and over could be heard. Kanae sighed, shook her head, muttered about "best friends" and "weaknesses" before forgiving Kyouko and removing her hand. Kyouko brightened, before she remembered Kuon and turned to him.

"Oh! Moko-san! He didn't mean to make me sad! I just told him about Taisho and how I came to own this place." She said cheerfully, and Kuon felt guilty, since he had made her talk about it, he made her cry, right?

Kanae gave him a look that said she thought the same thing, and then he heard a deep toll, and looked up, startled. It was 3:00 PM! He stayed here for nearly two hours! Time flew by fast! He looked outside and saw the sun peeking over the clouds, the rain already slowing to a soft drip-drop.

Kuon sighed, and Kyouko looked at him curiously. He pointed a finger at the grandfather clock by the counter, and said, "I have to get back to work."

She looked crestfallen as she said, "Oh. I suppose you do."

He didn't want to leave, none what so ever, but he couldn't cut work. Then, he thought of it. "You're open tomorrow right? How about I come over for lunch?" He smiled gently at her, and she brightened.

"Oh! Well then we'll see you tomorrow! Aren't you going to be late for work? Go on now!" Kyoko made a "shoo shoo" motion at him, and he chuckled. He grabbed his briefcase, settled his hat on his head, and walked to the front door.

He waved a hand at them, "Good-bye Kyouko, Ms. Kanae. See you tomorrow."

He walked out the store, a merry ring from the bell above sending him off. He took one last glance through the windows, and saw Kyouko, waving at him while smiling the beautiful one-of-a-kind smile that lit up her eyes made her face glow. It transported him briefly to a time years ago, a river rushing in his ears and the summer heat coalescing in his cheeks once more.

He'd come back. He was sure. To _Fairytale Café: Kyouko_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is basically me thinking **_No matter where these people go, they're destined to meet. Kuon must meet Kyouko and Kyouko must meet Kanae, etc. _

**If you enjoyed it, found flaws, or just wanted to share a thought, please review! Thank you for reading dears, I'm delighted to know you all enjoyed my writing!**

**Edited: 2/2/14. I didn't change much, just some horrific grammar errors, misspellings, and offensive sentence structure. I'm sorry you all had to read the mess it was back then. **


	2. Kyouko

**I absolutely hate writing Kyouko's revengeful side. By nature, I am very forgiving person, so it's hard to write her more hateful-ness. But i'll prevail! **

**This is set a few days after they met. Like...half a week later? Not too long, but long enough for Kyouko to get used to Kuon being there, and for Kanae to get unknowingly-jealous. **

**I love writing Kanae's jealous side, it's so hilarious.**

**Also, I'll have a somewhat story-line going, but each chapter will be from a different charcater's point of view. Like Kuon, Kyouko, Kanae, Yashiro (maybe) Lory, Hikaru, Sho, and so on (not necessarily in that order)**

**Magic Mushroom Truffles is an actual recipe. It's not mine, i got it from a website. If this is breaking a rule or something, let me know and i'll take it off. I haven't made them yet, but i plan on doing so. i also don't know if its possible to make fairies out of candy. if it isn't, in this story it is. also, if you'd like the rest of the recipe, ask and i'll give you the link.**

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Cafe: Kyouko<strong>

* * *

><p>The grandfather clock tolled again, and she smiled happily. 6:30 PM on Fridays were one of her favorite times of the week, and she only had thirty more minutes to wait until the show started. She grinned at Kanae, who glared lovingly behind an elderly woman buying one of her pastry's.<p>

The old woman walked out, the bell clanging as she left, steaming cup of coffee in one hand, box of pastries in the other, smiling softly. She was thrilled the lady was happy, be it because of something outside of her shop, or her shop itself, she loved watching people walk out the store with smiles on her face.

The bell clang again, but she barely heard it as she sat curled up on a sofa by the window. It'd been raining again, and she'd watched the patterns it formed on her windows as it slid down. Her face had glowed, her eyes gleaming as she imagined, or believed, little Rain Fairies dancing among the rain drops, stepping lightly on them as they fell. Or prancing across her window, helping form the shapes as the rain slid down. The customers who came here often knew this look well, for she'd spoken to almost each of them her belief in all things mystical and winged.

"Kyouko."

She jumped in shock as she suddenly realized someone was sitting next to her, grinning boyishly. Suddenly, she remembered the bell over the door clanging, someone coming in, and then something about blue-dressed tiny beings dancing on rain drops. _I wonder if they danced ballet, like Swan Lake... no swan lake is for the Animal Fairies! They'd probably be just like those fairies from that move Kuon showed me, Fantasia!_

She stared at him for a few seconds, before she finally retreated from La La Land, landing into her body with the force of falling bricks. Her face grew redder, and redder, and redder, before she finally jumped up, bowed low, and apologized. _Oh my god I hope he doesn't ask why I was so distracted. I bet he'll laugh at me if I said "dancing rain fairies"! He's mean like that too! The other day when I said his hair was blond like a sunshine fairy he laughed! What'll I do? It was my fault to begin with, ignoring a friend, no, a customer like that, just so I can daydream! I am at work, not home, though technically this is my home..._

Before he could even get her to stand up and make her realize it was okay, a rude "a-hem" came from the left of them, and they both looked.

Joy and happiness coursed through her and she stared at her best friend, Kanae, looming over them, arms crossed. She straightened, smiled brightly, and asked what she needed.

Kanae gave her a "are you for real?" look, before jabbing a thumb at the clock. "You're late. Don't you need to prepare?"

Her face drained of blood so quickly, she felt faint, and then apologies flew from her mouth as she ran to the kitchen at full speed, miraculously avoiding tables, chairs, and people in between. _Oh geez I got so caught up in watching the Rain Fairies dance in the rain, I forgot the show! Well, I have enough time to get ready. Besides, lots of customers asked me to let them watch me prepare, though why they want to watch that, I have no idea._

She knew exactly was she making that Friday evening, so she rushed about the kitchen, gathering the dry ingredients she needed. She checked off her mental list as she grabbed them:

_Avocado_

_Sugar_

_Chocolate chips (milk and vanilla)_

_Butter_

And so on, grabbing the necessary equipment as well. By 6:30, she had everything, and more people had filed in, sitting around the bar that surround the open area of her kitchen. She set everything in front of everyone, gestured grandly with her hands to them, and declared, "I'm making Magic Mushroom Truffles tonight!"

Every Friday night at 6:30 she would put on a little show and make a simple dish that they could make at home. As she made the dish, she would explain each step, answer questions, and allow them to taste her progress is they wanted to.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the gleam in his eyes, and it brought a happy pink tinge to her cheeks. For some reason, his happiness was important to her, it was deeply rooted in her to the point that she was utterly comfortable with him. Like an older brother.

She giggled. Kuon, her older brother? Hilarious... though it sounded appealing...

She shook her head. She had a show to do.

She grinned at everyone. "Thanks for coming today. How is everyone?" Murmurs of "We're okay" and "Everything's fine" brought a happy smile to her face.

"Good! Now, these Magic Mushroom Truffles are lying to you. They're lying in two ways! One, sadly, they're not magic." Her face was so crestfallen, everyone chuckled at how sad she was. "Two, their not made out of mushrooms- hey! Don't look so relieved! Mushroom's aren't _that _bad-"

A guy interrupted her. "Only you would say that Kyouko." He faced everyone, mouthed "Mushrooms" and pretended to gag.

She giggled. "Okay, Michael, whatever you say. Anyways, these truffles are simply shaped and made to look like cute baby chocolate mushrooms, which you have to admit look cute." She held up a picture of the finished product, and the women cooed at it's "cuteness" while Michael gagged again.

"Well, these are very simple, don't cost a lot of money, and plus their fun to make with others." She giggled. "It's a slight bit messy towards the middle, but that's it."

She turned around and grabbed a blender, setting it to the right of her. She grabbed the avocado, held it up for the audience to see, before setting it before her. She did the same with each ingredient, explaining how much of each, why you'd need them, and so on.

She grabbed a cup of butter, and talked as she worked, "You melt a cup of unsalted butter in the pan on medium-heat, or in the microwave. Make sure you don't burn it."

She did so, before turning the heat off, moving the now melted butter in the pan to the side, and picking up the avocado and a knife. "Then, cut open the avocado, and grab all the flesh – all this light green stuff is called flesh – make sure you don't get the pit, or seed," she picked out the seed and showed it to them, "and then place all the flesh into the blender."

She turned the blender on. "Blend until the flesh is smooth with almost next to no lumps." She talked a bit more with one the audience, daily idle chit chat, before she turned off the blender, and showed them the bowl. "See? No lumps. If you have trouble, place a bit of melted butter in it a mix again."

"Now blend the avocado, melted butter, and vanilla together." She measured out a teaspoon and a half for them to see, and placed it and the butter into the blender, before turning it on again. She then explained as she added the cocoa, and the sugar, blending it all into it was firm enough to mold.

She continued through the process, until at last, she finished, allowing the audience to help dip the "mushroom" truffles into the candy coating, sprinkle the candy sugar, and place it into the ice cube trays and into the freezer to firm up.

She let them freeze until they hardened, and then took out the little candy forests she'd hid. She placed the mushrooms in them, and then, with sparkling eyes and blushing cheeks, she placed spun candy fairies onto the mushroom truffle tops, and everyone cooed and awed at how adorable it looked.

A customer complained. "Aw, Kyouko, how come you didn't make the candy forests in front of us?"

She chuckled. "Because, it would take too long, and it wasn't necessary. Here, I had enough for you all to take them home." She pulled out more candy forests with mushroom truffles and candy fairies. She smiled cheerfully. "Share them with your friends and family!"

She handed out the desserts to them, and they exclaimed their gratitude and happiness. She was filled with happiness herself, and she loved her life very much at that moment. She made people happy with her cooking. That was enough for her, she didn't need love, only their smiles.

A hurt angry voice came from behind her. "And what? You don't have any for me?"

She turned to look at her best friend and giggled. "Of course I do Moko-san! I saved two just for this!" She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall, up the stairs, into their shared apartment, and grabbed the two leftover desserts. She came back down and gave one to Kanae and looked around, the other held in her hand protectively.

"What? Is that for him?" Kanae's voice dripped venom when she said _"him"_, and the golden-eyed girl turned to look at her best friend questioningly.

"Moko-san," she started, "do you hate Kuon?"

She watched curiously as first shock, anger, shock again, and then tears fall from her friend's eyes. Kanae turned to look away, hiding her face from the other girl. "I-it's because," Kanae's voice broke, "be-because you s-seem to like h-him more than me-e."

Immediately real tears filled her own eyes, and they spilled over as she reassured her friend with bone-crushing hugs that Kanae was her "one and only best friend and always will be and to never worry that she would ever replace her even if she died she'd still be her best friend and to not worry, okay?"

Kanae gasped out, "Okay, okay! Mo! I get it! Let go!"

She immediately released her strangle-hold on Kanae, face pale and hoping. Kanae coughed, blushed, and then pointed to the dessert. "Do you realize how many calories this'll have? I can't eat this all! Only half...but I don't want to throw it away...since it's wasteful..."

Her golden eyes gleamed with happiness and joy. "Oh! Then let's share Moko-san!" She grabbed Kanae's free hand and led her to an open Booth. She made sure Kanae sat, before going off to prepare drinks for all the leftover customers still in the shop eating the desserts. She made a pitcher and went around, pouring cups of it for those who wanted some, before pouring two cups for herself and Kanae.

She sat back down, smiling, before picking up a truffle. It was then that she realized half of them were gone. She looked up at Kanae, who had a tiny piece of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. She giggled. "Moko-san. You have some on the corner of your mouth."

She watched bemusedly as Kanae's face turned as red as the icing, a=before she roughly swiped at her mouth. "I ate...some OK?You can have the rest."

She giggled again, "Okay Moko-san. I'll save some for tomorrow."

"Mo! Are you trying to get me fat?"

She frowned, confused. "Moko-san? Fat? It's impossible! You could never get fat!"

"Well, with the way you feed me, it's becoming a possibility."

She felt her face drain of all color. "No! I don't want Moko-san to get fat! But..eating is very important, Moko-san! You have to eat!"

Kanae crossed her arms. "If I get fat, I'm going to starve myself!"

Her eyes grew wide and round, and she nearly jumped over the table in an effort to convince Kanae that "starving herself" was NOT going to happen. Not with her around. She was so ferocious in her demanding and promising, Kanae's face turned a bit pale, before flaming red.

"Sit down like you're supposed to! Mo! It's not proper to jump over a table like that!"

She calmed down enough to sit properly in her seat, but not before she made sure Kanae would "never, ever, ever starve herself". Fearing for her life, Kanae agreed.

She happily smiled, before finishing off the rest of her truffle she'd started. She made to go for another one, when a deep voice interrupted her. Already smiling, she turned to look up at him. She scooted over for him to sit with her, and he slid in gracefully, ignoring Kanae's glares across the wooden tabletop.

"So, do I get some?"

She completely and utterly missed his joking and teasing tone as she exclaimed, "Oh! Of course Mr. Kuon! Here," she reached on her other side, the one Kuon was sitting on, and grabbed the magic mushroom truffles she'd saved for him.

She extended it to them, and he accepted as he chuckled, and she could feel the gentle vibrations of it through the cushions. She wondered what was funny, but dropped it when something more important came to mind.

"Mr. Kuon. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

He made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, but she dismissed it. "Nope, which was I came here."

She frowned. "I'm happy you like my cooking, but you should eat at home with your wife!"

He frowned too, then laughed. "Wh-what on earth m-made you th-think I had a wife?" His voice broke as he laughed, and she felt blood rising to her cheeks. Why was he laughing at her?

"Well, with that face, it's sorta hard to believe you _don't _have a wife..."

"And with that body and money, it's really impossible to believe you aren't married." Kanae said as she pitched her two cents, still glaring at him like he stole her money.

Kuon quickly sobered as they kept on badgering him on being single. "I AM 24 you know..."

"I figured." She and Kanae said at the same time. Was it really bad that he was 24 and single? Well, adding his looks, and money, she supposed it was somewhat surprising.

He actually looked offended at being considered married. "Okay, I'm just not married. Is there a problem?"

She and Kanae stared at him for a minute, before saying, "No..."

He leaned forward and rested his chin in his upraised hands, considering the both of them. The look in his eyes! They were... Emperor of the Night like! They were dark and calculating, and sent chills down her spine. Looking across the table, Kanae seemed to be frowning, or more like glaring at him. "You girls aren't married either, right?"

His eyes darted to their left hands, and she knew he was looking for a ring. Besides, who was he to ask if she was married? That was her business! She sat even straighter, and said to him stiffly, "No, we're not married."

Suddenly Kanae reached across the table and stabbed a fork by his elbow on the table, and immediately the cafe fell silent. A faint ringing could be heard from the metal fork, as she stayed stretched over the table, hand gripping the handle of the fork, glaring murderously at him. He stayed where he was as she shot up, appalled.

"Kanae!" she screeched, grabbing Kuon's elbow to inspect for injury. Satisfied that he was alright, she turned her head to Kanae, who'd sat back down, still glaring at Kuon. "What's wrong? Did he do something? Why did you do it?"

Kanae was still watching Kuon when she said, "Yeah. He tried to take something very important from me."

She frowned, turning back to Kuon. "Is this true?"

He watched Kanae for a long time, before slowly turning to look at her, eyes narrowing. "No. I wasn't trying. She just thought I was. Though I wonder why... I wouldn't want it."

In a flash Kanae grabbed another fork and jammed it on the edge of the table by him, whispering murderously, "You wouldn't _want _it?"

She watched helplessly as Kuon's stare turned dark and menacing towards Kanae, before he said, "No. I don't deserve it." He stood up, grabbing his jacket and hat in his arms, holding the dessert carefully in his arms. He nodded his head slightly at her, "Thank you Kyouko for the dessert, but I'll be going now. I like being alive." He placed his hat on his head, even though it'd stopped raining already.

Kanae didn't straighten from her bent position until the bell rang, solidifying his departure. She stared at the door he left through, watching until she couldn't see him anymore, until Kanae's voice came through.

"I'll clean up."

Automatically, she helped gather the dishes, bringing them to the kitchen. There, she cleaned the left over mess, falling into the repetitive dish washing. What had happened? Everything had been okay just minutes ago, and then everything turned upside down. What did Kuon try to, or not try to, steal from Kanae? Nothing had happened at the table. She hadn't seen Kuon trying to grab something from Kanae. All he'd been asking is if they were married. He'd asked her, she'd said no, he'd turned into the emperor of the night, and then Kanae stabbed the fork into the table.

Was Kanae secretly married and didn't want her to know? No, it couldn't be. They lived in the same house! She worked here! But she does work part-time, she could have left to meet the guy. Maybe Kanae didn't want Kuon to ask her next? To keep it a secret from her?

Tears welled up in her golden eyes as the squeak of the swinging door to the kitchen swung open and Kanae came in. She slowly turned to face Kanae, teas falling by the buckets as the actress began to freak out.

She hiccuped, asking, "Mo-moko-sa-san. Are you ma-mari-ried?" She cried throwing herself at her friend's feet. "Why didn't you tell meeee? Do you hate me? Are you keeping it a secret? I thought we were beeest frieeeeends! Why Moko-san?"

Kanae's eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open, and then it snapped shut, and then she snapped at her. "Mo! I AM NOT MARRIED. What gave you that idea? What secret and-MO! Get OFF of me!"

She immediately released Kanae, standing up a little a ways. She hiccuped, asking tearfully, "You're not married?"

Kanae glared at her, "No! I have a career to focus on! I don't have time for _romance_." She said the word like it was leprosy. Her face twisted slightly in annoyance, before she sighed. She looked carefully at her, and then slowly she asked, "Why did you think I was married?"

She looked down at her shoes, murmuring her answer.

Kanae snapped. "What? I can't hear you!"

She swallowed, and then glanced up shyly. "Well, when you almost stabbed Kuon, it seemed like you didn't want him to ask you if you were married so I thought you wanted to keep it a secret from me...and..."

A relieved smile broke across her face as she watched Kanae shake her head, exasperated. She leaped across the distance between them, crushing Kanae in a hug.

The night went on as it usually did, thought one frequent thought would often flash across her mind, before she pushed it away.

_Is he going to come back tomorrow?_

He had come and added another color to her life. Before, she'd loved her life, been happy, enjoyed everyday, and could had lived the rest of her life that way happily. But, the day Kuon came, he made her feel so comfortable, so at ease, so at _home _she looked forward to his daily visits.

Because, really, she loved her cafe/house, and she adored living with Kanae, but truthfully, deep within her heart, _home _was back in Japan, in Kyoto, in the Fairy Clearing with Corn. Kuon somehow reminded her of that time, and she automatically relaxed when the bell jingled and she knew he was there.

She liked having him there. Chatting, laughing, and generally enjoying each other's company. He never demanded her time, and just sat, drinking coffee while she roamed around the cafe, taking care of customers. She came to learn that he didn't eat as much as his size should. She worried that with his build, he would become weak from lack of energy. She learned that since he was a child, he was traumatized by his mother and her food. She figured out the best way to make him eat more was to make lighter foods. That he liked coffee, but hated milk or sugar. That he wasn't picky about food, just with it. That he was childish, but mature, and was forgiving when someone apologized.

She glanced up at the door again, before looking at the grandfather clock. It was near the time he usually came yet...he wasn't here.

She worried that he wouldn't come. Of course he wouldn't come! Kanae had almost stabbed him with a fork the night before! Why would he come back?

But he did.

When the bell rang, she looked up, half-expecting to not see him in the doorway, half-hoping he would be there. She smiled, relieved, when his tall form cast a shadow through the door way, and his smile cast it's own bright light. He shrugged out of his jacket, and she cheerfully called out, "Welcome!"

Kyouko learned that his Heavenly smile, and the light that shone from his jade-green eyes could help soothe her just like her Corn stone.

* * *

><p><strong>I won't mention the which character's point of view It's from. Well, the chapter title will tell you that, but I won't say the name of the character until the end. I just feel like doin something different ^^<strong>

**Do you think most big-time stars would go to New York? Or would it be California? I actually don't live in New York, in fact, I don't live somewhere where you can just walk around. So I'm doing this based off of movies and what I've heard. New Yorkers! If I get some detail wrong, please let me know! This will make sense in either the next chapter, or the one after it.**

**Review please! Alternate Universe stories are harder that I thought...and yet easier in a way. Please let me know if I need to improve In any area.**

**Also, can anyone guess what "important thing" Kanae accused Kuon of trying to steal? I think it's obvious...**


	3. Hikaru

**Someone asked if I'm turning Kanae into a lesbian. No, I am not. She's just overly protective of Kyouko. I'll explain more and in the story and at the end. **

**I listened to a lot of nightcore while writing half of this. (the lower half). Music is my muse. It helps get the creative juices flowing. The reason the Ishibashi band is in the United States is because their show became such a hit, they were asked to create on in the U.S., which would be a huge leap in their career to become internationally known. First, they went to California, and then New York. They had just arrived and were granted permission to roam the city. **

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Café: Hikaru<strong>

* * *

><p>"Oh man! Jeez, why can't they make airplanes more comfy? Or, I don't know, make it bigger? I feel all squashed up." He rolled his eyes as he listened to Yuusei complain about the flight.<p>

"It wasn't that bad!" He protested. It's not like they made airplanes so people could fly them for no reason, or to practice athletics.

Yuusei snorted, rudely. "Only you would say that Leader. Plus, you're short. You don't have the disadvantage of ridiculously long legs."

He felt his face burn, and knew he was blushing. "Yuusei! I'm not that short!"

He felt a deep rumble behind him, and turned to appeal to his other friend. "Shin'ichi! I'm not that short, right?"

Shin'ichi outright laughed, _in his face. _"Yuusei" chuckle "quit messing with Leader." Small laugh "short people have smaller views than us." He said, breaking into laughter.

He fumed. "Yuusei! Shin'ichi! Ugh, you all are so- oh hey! Hot dogs! See, this is the best thing about New York. You find food everywhere!"

Distracted by the wafts of smells tempting his stomach, he paced to the nearest cross-walk, waited impatiently for the light to turn green, and then walked with the crowd towards the hot-dog stand.

He could hear Yuusei shout, "Wait Leader! We don't want to lose you!"

He laughed, stopping once he reached the other side to wait for his best friends. They loped towards him easily, and he didn't envy them their long legs or height. He wasn't short. Just compared to those two Amazons and you could say he _might _be a bit smaller. It didn't help that he was always with them.

They caught up, and Yuusei clapped a hand on his back. "How about I pay?"

He looked at him funny. "'How about'? No, you WILL pay."

And before it could develop into a hilarious fight, Shin'ichi interrupted them. "Hey, instead of standing while eating –face it Yuusei, you're one messy eater – how about we go to a restaurant? Liiiike that one." Shin'ichi pointed at a café down one of the lesser busier roads, and he felt compelled to go. It looked like a nice kind of place, and as they approached, he approved.

_Fairytale Café: Kyouko_

They'd been in America for a while now, half a month in California, and then they were shipped off to New York. His stomach was begging for some home-land food. And Kyouko was a pretty Japanese name. It'll most likely have Japanese food, right?

They walked in, a merry bell signaling their entrance. Looking around, they saw a few elderly customers, and a few younger, teenage, customers. All of them had somewhat of a smile on their faces, except for a girl behind the cash register.

"Welcome! Where would you like to sit?"

He looked back in front of him, and there was another girl. Focusing on her, he jumped in shock when he saw her golden eyes. He'd never seen anyone with golden eyes. Ever.

Shin'ichi spoke up from behind him. "Anywhere really."

The girl nodded and led them to a booth close to the cash register, towards the back by a long row of glass counters. Looking inside, his mouth watered as he eyed the delicious delicacies displayed.

Someone grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him to their seat. He glared at the offender, Yuusei, who simply grabbed the menu the waitress gave them. He heard a bell like giggle and turned to look from where it came. The waitress was by their table, and had small delicate hand covering her mouth as she giggled.

Thinking about it, she was generally small and delicate looking, and he was pleased to find her shorter than him. When she caught him staring at her, he blushed. "Would you like to order?"

He shook his head at himself. "Ah, well as long as it's a lot and really tasty, and Japanese, I'm good with anything." He said, glancing distractedly at the menu. She waited by them patiently as they all ordered the same, and then she bowed slightly and left.

"That's a real rare eye color. In fact, it's the first time I've seen it." Shin'ichi said as he rested his head in his palms.

"You think it's a hereditary thing? I mean, her hair color was a bit different too. Like black, but dark blue-ish." Yuusei added, fiddling absently with the corner of his napkin.

"Gotta be, who would have golden contacts? And I don't think there's a dye that color."

"One things for sure, Leader couldn't keep his eyes off her."

He blushed and snapped his head back to them. He protested. "I'm not staring at her!" Yuusei raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I was. But I was interested by her hair and eye color. It was like gold, but with lil brown flecks."

"Brown flecks?"

"Or black?"

"I think it was pure gold with darker golden hues."

They suddenly looked up, and there was the topic of their conversation, beet-red and refusing to look at them. He piped up, "Are you okay? You're really red."

If possible, she turned redder. "I come back to give you your drinks, and you all are discussing my eye color?"

All three guys flushed, and she burst out laughing, setting the drinks on the table. "Food'll be ready soon, k? And it's just gold with golden hues. I think. I've never really analyzed my eyes before." They all laughed again as she left.

"Well, that surprised me."

"I didn't even see her coming."

He shook his head. She must think they were a couple of weirdos. Speaking of weird, "Hey, check the place out."

They looked around, slightly surprised at all the natural tones and colors and green stuff around them. He was okay with regular stores and such, but he was an outdoors type, and the greenery around him made him feel so much more comfier than other stores ever did.

"Wow, it's like a fairytale." Yuusei murmured.

Shin'ichi snorted. "Nah duh." While in California they'd picked up on some of the ruder American sayings. "The place is called _Fairytale Café: Kyouko. _But why does it have Kyouko on the end?"

"Because it's my name."

They turned to the new voice, and once again the waitress was there, three plates on one serving tray placed on one upraised hand. They were shocked at her balance and strength. Wait, her name?

"Your name? Your name is Kyouko?" He asked.

She blushed a bit, before nodding. "Yes. I own this place and serve as chef."

They all nodded, before he felt something was missing here. What was it? The girl still had their food? No, she was putting it in front of them now. Her name? No, they already knew… Oh, he got it.

He pointed a finger at Shin'ichi, "That's Shin-ichi Ishibashi," than at Yuusei, "That's Yuusei Ishibashi," and then pointed to himself. "And I'm Hikaru Ishibashi. Nice to meet you Kyouko."

Her eyes lit up when he named himself. "Are you all brothers?" Her face glowed, and she clasped her hands in front of herself, like she was hoping beyond all hopes that they shared blood. He felt really bad telling her no.

Her face fell, and she asked, "No? You aren't? Why not?" Her tone was accusing.

Like it was their fault they didn't have the same parents.

Across him, Yuusei chuckled. "Why not? Well, we aren't related, what so ever. We only have the same last name –Ishibashi- which is pure coincidence. Ever see, 'It's Gotta Be Whimsical Rock'? Well, that's how you say it in English. In Japanese, it's 'Yappa Kimagure Rock'."

She gave them a dead pan look. "No. I don't watch T.V. or listen to the radio much. Only to CD's."

His face fell. She'd never seen their show? Well, he guessed it sorta makes since, but even in America it was popular. She did say she doesn't watch much television though… but still, "Why do you only listen to CD's?"

She narrowed her eyes, and he flinched. They all did. "Because I don't want to hear a certain voice."

"O-oh really?"

She looked down, grabbed something by the collar of her shirt, before looking back up and smiling. "Your food will get cold if you don't eat soon!" She bowed before walking away.

He watched her go, before turning to his friends and saying, "Yikes, that was scary."

They chuckled. "No kidding. She reminded me of that scarred girl from that drama…what was it? Tsuki-something? But she was way scary."

Shin'ichi nodded. "That could have been a good show, really. But it just wasn't scary enough."

He frowned. "I wonder why she glared when I mentioned the radio?"

Yuusei looked up from his plate, mouth full. "I don't know, but you gotta try this stuff! It's awesome! Better than okonomiyaki anpan!"

He snorted. "Please, as if." And then, he felt like swallowing his words when he swallowed his first bite.

The food practically melted on his tongue before he allowed it to go down his throat. It was so good, so delicious, so delectable, he just didn't want to lose the taste by swallowing it. But, he cheered himself up when he remembered he had a whole plate left.

All too soon though, the plate was empty, and so were the other two's. Kyouko appeared out of thin air, shocking them to no end. It was like she transported from place to place! "Would you like anything else?" She asked as she once again gathered all three plates on one serving tray and balanced it on one arm, along with their now empty glasses.

He tapped a finger against his chin, and another against the table, and then glanced at the row of glass counters.

Displayed proudly and deliciously, were desserts upon desserts of dishes. Some were made of fruits and designed artfully, and healthily, and some were made of the usual desserts: parfaits, brownies, cookies, cakes (he drooled while he stared at those), small chocolates, truffles, tarts, pies, and so on. There was one of each, and each of them picked a dessert.

He got a parfait.

Shin'ichi got a slice of pie.

Yuusei got these truffles shaped like mushrooms.

Kyouko smiled radiantly when Yuusei picked the truffles, and then she bowed before walking to the kitchen with their orders.

They watched through the cut-out "window" in the wall as Kyouko bustled about the kitchen, making all of their desserts at once along with other customers' orders. It was amazing to watch her create so many dishes in a such a short time all by herself. She finished the sandwich a customer had ordered, served it to her, then returned to the kitchen and added the finishing touches to their desserts.

Both Yuusei and Shin'ichi had been talking the entire time while he just watched her. She moved so gracefully, like a long time dancer, and always had perfect posture. Her smile was so innocent and bright, making her golden eyes twinkle like real gold. He wondered dimly that if she wore golden jewelry if it would bring out her eyes or diminish them as she approached their table.

She gave him a weird look, then smiled politely as she placed the parfait in front of him, the slice of delicious looking pie in front of Shin'ichi, and the mushroom-like truffles in front of Yuusei. He was thoroughly in shock and admiration as he saw all the tiny details on the dish, and the candy fairies on top.

Looking at his own dessert, once again he didn't want to eat the art in front of him, and once again the smells wafting up enticed him to eat. After the first bite, he took another, and another, and another, until none was left, and he was full. Looking over he saw that Yuusei and Shin'ichi had both polished off their plates too. He chuckled, amused. "You sure know how to pick 'em Shin'ichi. This is one awesome place!"

"Thanks."

Once again Kyouko scared all of them, and after he calmed his heart, he shook his head. "No really Kyouko-chan! This place is incredible, and you own it and cook all by yourself! Haven't you ever thought of getting some help?"

Kyouko shook her head and laughed. "Nope! I already have Moko-san to help me!"

All three of them gave her a weird look as they asked, "Moko-san?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Moko-san." She pointed to the to the other girl. They all leaned around Kyouko to get a look. He had to admit it, Moko-san was a very pretty girl with her long straight black hair and her ice-cold blue eyes, but, looking at Kyouko's warm golden eyes, he knew he liked the innocent, nice, soft types like Kyouko. _Like Kyouko…_

"Like Kyouko…"

His head shot up as he heard his thoughts echoed, and found his two friends smirking at him. "Is what you…"

"Were thinking, right?"

He felt the heat rush into his face lightning fast, and then realizing Kyouko was standing _right next to him, _he knew his blush tripled. Yuusei and Shin'ichi collapsed into fits of laughter at his red face, and Kyouko asked if he had a fever.

Yuusei straightened first, still chuckling. "You're an open book Leader. So obvious…" He laughed again. Shin'ichi composed himself, before turning to Kyouko. "Don't worry Kyouko, just some inside joke. Right, Leader?"

He just nodded his head real fast, begging his friends to drop the subject. Thankfully, or not, the bell rang above the door, and Kyouko looked up eagerly towards the sound. Her face broke out into a relieved smile, and curious, he leaned around the booth to see who she was smiling at.

His hopes were dashed and thrown down mercilessly when he saw the tall blond man walk in. Tall, tall, _tall…_

_Life isn't fair._

Yuusei, noticing this, poked Kyouko in the ribs to get her attention. Squeaking, she turned to him. "…Yes?"

"Is that your boyfriend?"

Kyouko laughed, not even blushing. "Nope. He's just an acquaintance and a regular customer."

Shin'ichi raised an eyebrow, and knew hew as thinking the same thing as himself. _That's not a smile for an "acquaintance"._

"I better get his coffee, do you guys need anything?"

They said no, and she left to the kitchen. He watched with a sinking feeling as she gave the blond man his coffee, smiling at something he said. Her bell like laugh made it's way to his ears, and he dropped his head on the table, sad. "It's because I'm short, isn't it?"

The friends comforted his pal, saying it's not because he's short. It just wasn't good timing. Suddenly, the long haired girl sat across him, next to Yuusei. They looked at her curiously as she glared at him.

"Don't even think about it. I'm not giving her to that man, nor to you - or any of you- so back off."

And then she left, leaving them dumbfounded and mouths open like stupid fish. And then he shot up and stumbled after her. She glared at him with such hate, he actually took a step back, swallowed, then continued with his plan. "You…are you…interested in Kyouko too?"

Her face twisted up, and then she broke out in laughter. "Interested? Ha! Please. No. I just don't want any _unwanted attention towards her_." As she said the last part, she shifted her gaze from him to behind him, and it sharpened to a glare. Looking behind him, he saw the tall blond man from before, and realized she was glaring at him. The man narrowed his eyes, before turning back to Kyouko, who now sat in front of him, and chuckled.

He looked back to the girl in front of him, and she was now glaring at him. "So, leaver her alone. She's off limits."

The girl stalked away, and he made his way slowly to their booth. Seated, he turned to his friends, and said, "She's protecting Kyouko-chan. Doesn't that mean Kyouko-chan has a lot of guys after her…?"

Both Yuusei and Shin'ichi shook their hands, and then stood up. "Come on Leader, it's time to go."

They walked up to the cash register, and Hikaru nervously looked everywhere else except into the ice beauty's cold eyes. Yuusei paid grudgingly, and as they made their way out of the café, they passed by Kyouko and the man.

She jumped up, looking sad. "Oh! Are you all leaving?"

He chuckled. "Yes. But we'll come back."

Her eyes sparkled and she smiled. "Really? Then, I hope you enjoyed my food! Please come again."

"Bye-bye Kyouko-chan. See you soon." He glanced at the tall man as he said the last words, and when the man frowned, Hikaru knew he'd got the message.

The bell rang their departure, and the walked down the road. "So, we're coming back?" Shin'ichi asked.

"I hope so! I want to eat more of her food!" Yuusei practically drooled, and Hikaru hit him in the back.

"You pig! You just ate and you're drooling?"

Yuusei chuckled. "I wasn't the only one drooling in there."

Hikaru looked back, and saw the wooden sign swinging softly in the breeze.

_Fairytale Café: Kyouko_

"Yea, you're right."

* * *

><p><strong>I<strong>** will somehow get all the guys chasing Kyouko in the manga in New York! I already sorta know how I'ma get Sho and Reino there, and a half-baked plan with Kuu in it is forming, along with Lory. Actually, Lory's is probably going to be the easiest, since I can somewhat understand him. **

**I think Shin'ichi is more serious, yet still funny and energetic, and Yuusei is more energetic and funny, and slightly serious. Yuusei is like the funny man and Shin'ichi the straight man. Get it?**

**Hikaru is like the one they pick on yet depend on. The big brother? That's how I portray the "Ishibashi Brothers". ^^**

**I had this half-written when I wrote the second chapter, so I got my butt on it and finished it. Kanae's chapter will probably be written like…five chapters later? I have to introduce most of the cast beforehand before I can get to her. She is NOT a side-character, since she had a lot of influence over Kyouko. **

**I hoped you enjoyed! Please review and let me know how I'm doing ^^**


	4. Sho

**Sorry about the late update! Anyways, vital information down here!**

**Just because Kyouko didn't pursue her revenge because she thought no could really love her and always left her, doesn't means she wasn't hurt. She does hate Sho for what he did to her, and how he let her waste her life for him. **

**Also, during the Karuizawa act, Vie Ghoul was scheduled to go record in New York. So in my story, Sho beat Vie Ghoul at one point, but they would always come back. They're his biggest threat and challenge, so even now he's fighting with them. **

**He goes to New York to avoid them and record some song, along with a small contract he made with his sister agency that he'd be there for two years. So, I'm writing on this basis that Sho has been in America for half a year and in New York for two weeks. He was somewhere else first.**

**Disclaimers apply. I don't own anything. **

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Café: Sho<strong>

* * *

><p>He loved and hated New York. He loved it because in America girls were more open…less modest…bustier…leggier…and generally just to his liking. He hated it because, unlike in Japan, girls will come chasing him like a cheetah after a rabbit. And he was the rabbit.<p>

He loved girls, and liked being chased by them, but not like this. Not where his _life _depended on him running until he was sweating and panting, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. Already, just being here two weeks he'd lost seven pounds! Not that he needed to, but anymore and he'd look sick! And not the usual visual sick image he had, but really anorexic you-need-to-be-in-a-hospital sick.

He rounded a corner, and there, he saw it. Safety.

He pumped his arms and legs even harder to get ahead. Slamming the door open, he jumped in and slammed it closed after him, hunkering down under the windows, hiding.

A few moments passed when he heard the loud patter of girls coming around the corner. "Do you see him?"

Sweat coursed down his face as he heard them stop right in front of the building he was in. "No. He has such long legs…of course he could outrun us!"

"You think he could be in this place?"

After a moment, he heard a girl say, "Nah. He's too cool be in somewhere like _that_." He heard them walk off, some running, shouting his name. Like he would respond.

Once he was sure they were gone, he slowly and shakily stood up, leaning against the door for support. He'd run in here for two reasons. One, the name of the café had been _Fairytale Café: Kyouko, _and it reminded him so much of Kyouko that he had went to it by sheer instinct. The other was that the café's exterior completely and utterly did not match his image. So he knew the hyena-girls would not think he'd go in here.

He finally looked around, but ignored everything when he saw a pair of wide golden eyes. Relief coursed through him as he took three long strides to her, picking her up in a hug. After he'd mistakenly turned her away, after three months passed and nothing happened, he went looking for her. He called his parents, asking if Kyouko had been home. They said no. He went around to where she worked, and no one knew where she was. Their apartment where they lived was already being rented again and he knew Kyouko wasn't there. He'd begun to worry that she'd been kidnapped, raped, killed, and he spent months in a slump, believing his childhood friend and the only person who understood him was dead, or worse.

"Kyouko! You're alive! You're okay, wait, are you?"

Her voice was muffled against his chest as she said, "Let me go Shotarou! Let go!"

He released her, before checking her all over to make sure she was okay. "Kyouko, you're okay! You're alive! You don't know how worried I was when you left and then, I couldn't find you anywhere! You weren't at the apartment, none of your bosses knew where you were, and you weren't back home in Kyot-"

She cut him off with a raised hand. "Sho, that's not my home anymore."

Not her home? But… "What do you mean not your home! You've lived there for almost fifteen years! How is that not your home?"

"Because you threw me away! What was I supposed to do? Run to your parents? No! I live here now! This is my home." She gestured with her hand to everything behind her, and he finally looked.

They were in a café, with vines and nature all around. He ignored the customers, and looked all around, taking in the details. Through the kitchen, he could see a set of stairs, and figured they led to her home. He could see the touch of Kyouko in the place. He turned back to her.

"You work here?"

She laughed coldly. "No, I own this place. After you…turned me away I moved to the United States, and worked myself to the bone until the owners died and left me this place…I've owned it for over a year already."

He stared in disbelief at her. "Why didn't you let me know? Or my parents know? They were worried sick over you! They thought you were dead and mom refused to talk to me for almost a year! They thought you were gone…" _like I did. _

Guilt flashed across her face, but she stood her ground. "I am no longer a part of your family Shotarou! When you told you brought me to Tokyo with you as a maid, I cut off all ties with you! Even if it meant your parents too…"

They'd switched to Japanese, and no one but them in the café understood, except the girl who just walked in for her shift.

"I was worried about you!"

She snorted. "Don't expect me to believe that! Not after the way you treated me!"

Finally, his anger boiled over and he grabbed her wrist, slamming her against a nearby wall, he leaned, but before he could say anything she hissed, "You don't know what I went though because of you."

Suddenly, she was gone. Looking up, and up, he saw cold menacing green eyes. Kyouko was pressed against the tall blonde dude, and immediately, every nerve in him _hated _the guy. One arm was wrapped around her shoulders, holding her to his chest possessively, and the other held her arm gently.

He grabbed the arm the guy held, and tried to tug Kyouko back. "Let her go! She's mine."

Another arm came into the picture and pushed roughly against his chest. Bewildered, he looked around and saw a pair of ice-cold blue eyes. "She was never yours, and never will be. Now I suggest you get out of this shop before I call the police, or worse."

He wasn't stupid. He knew that the tall guy could take him in a fight any day, and that the girl would hold to her threat too. He ignored both of them, and turned back to Kyouko, betrayal and hurt twisting his features and breaking his voice.

"Kyouko…how come you never told me?"

She closed her eyes, and with a harsh sting in his chest, he watched as her small hand grabbed the tall guy's arm around her, clutching it almost desperately. She breathed out, before opening her eyes and looking straight at him.

"Because, I need to remake myself and live a _life _without the burden of my past. If I had stayed in any connection with you, when I died, all I would know was that my life was absolutely _nothing._ My life would just be there to make yours more convenient and happy. Now, _go _Sho. I have a restaurant to run."

He watched as her other hand came up to grab the dude's arm, and more firmly, yet gently, removed it. The tall guy moved his arm away from her, but kept a hold on her other arm, sliding down to her hand.

He watched, seething in anger as she held his hand in her own two, looking, no _gazing, _into his eyes, before smiling and dropping his hand.

She turned to him. "Go Shotarou. I won't say it another time." He still watched her, and in a fleeting moment of annoyance and self-pity, he realized that was all he seemed to be doing. Watching her. Once upon a time it was the other way around. Him, secretly basking in her unconditional love filled adoring gaze. _She couldn't have changed that much, _he thought, still watching her as she moved from customer to customer, comforting them. He saw her sweet simple smile, and grinned. _No, once I give her the chance, she'll come running to me like old times. _

He turned to leave, but stopped short of the door. On one side was the tall ice-cold babe who'd threatened him earlier. The other, was the even taller guy, whose green eyes glared at him ferociously, he didn't put it past the guy to kill him then and there, in a very painful manner.

Swallowing his instinct –which was telling him to act how scared he was and slither out of there- and ignoring his gut – which was _screaming _at him to run away from the tall dude- he stalked to the door, flashing a smile so filled with arrogance, it was a wonder it looked like a smile at all. The tall dude scared him witless, admittedly, but the girl? She stepped right in front of him, just before he reached for the door knob.

Her face was millimeters from his, and if he moved the slightest in either direction, he would somehow touch her. So he froze, while her mercilessly cold blue eyes stared into his not-so-special brown eyes.

"If you _ever _touch Kyouko, try to humiliate Kyouko, or even worse, _hurt or upset her in ANY WAY, _I will personally see to it that you experience the level's of torturing Satan would use. Do you understand me?"

Even if he didn't understand the last half of her threat, he felt it conveyed that he would suffer a great deal if he upset Kyouko in any way. Hiding his cowardly inner self, he allowed his persona Fuwa Sho to come out and smirk at her degradingly. Hey, who said he _couldn't _act?

She glared at him for a full minute (he knew it was an entire minute exactly – he counted the seconds) before slowly moving at of his way and to the side, keeping her eyes locked onto him the entire time.

He sighed mentally in relief as he grabbed the door knob. But right before he could twist it and high tail it out of there, a felt the tall dude lean down to his level and whisper in his ear.

"_Even if she makes you experience hell, you will know what hell is truly like through my own hands and experience it again if you hurt Kyouko again, do you understand me? I will force you to go through the nine circles of hell over and over, and it still wouldn't be enough."_

He twisted the door knob and practically ran away.

**Back in the café:**

She looked at him impressed as she heard the last line Kuon whispered into the boy's ear. "You read Dante's Inferno?"

Kuon shrugged. "I kept hearing about it every now and then, so I looked it up. I am now so glad to have read that. You mentioned Satan's torture. You read it too?"

She grimaced. "Not really and sort of yes. Some college guy was in here one day and was having trouble with the poem. Kyouko, in her sweet, caring, limitless patience and help, read it through with him, and then asked me to help too. Got to admit, Hell sound's scary through Dante's point of view."

He chuckled. "_Inferno _does mean Hell in Italian." He said wryly, before adding, "You scared him pretty badly even before I stepped in."

She snorted. "I scared him? What an understatement. You made him almost pee his pants."

Kuon outright laughed. "That would have made my day."

**Now back to Sho:**

God, was Kyouko really hanging out with those people? He wouldn't be surprised, no he would be expecting it if he found out they were part of a mafia or gang, or still were. They acted enough to be like it. Especially the blonde headed freak! Chills traveled down and up his spine as he remembered their threats. They would live up to it too…

"Sho? Sho!" Shoko, his deliciously busty temperamental manager, snapped her fingers several times in front of his face, making him blink. He glared at the woman. At first, he'd been trying to conquer her, and was happy she was his manager because of one thing and one thing only.

Her appearance.

She was exactly and utterly his type physically. Busty, leggy, and all around curvelicious. A word he made it up for exactly these type of women. They were nothing but curves, and he loved staring at them.

But after a year or two with her, and he was tired and no longer had the drive to try to conquer her. She never tried to _promote _her stunning features, but tried to use her _brains _to climb up the Show-Biz ladder.

He couldn't understand it if his very rock-star life and career depended on it. Why wouldn't a woman try to use her physical features to climb the ladder? Why brains, of all things?

"Sho!"

"What?" He snarled, temper reaching it's peak.

Apparently hers had too, and she snapped. "Because for the last ten minutes you've been staring at my chest and not moving an inch when we're running late to an interview! Get going now Sho, or I swear I will…"

She trailed off, and he sneered in her face. Do what? She couldn't do anything! She had nothing to hold against him, except his career, and if she ruined his, hers would go down the drain as well.

He sighed, and took pity on her. After all, she had been taking care of him for the last…what, five, six years? "Where are we going?"

She sighed too, before naming the place and hailing a cab.

They arrived, and he was led to his dressing room, prepped about what the interview would be about, and then he was on.

It was a live show, and had just been recently made. He'd been on their show before, in fact, he was the first celebrity on their show when they were first made in Japan, and he had the privilege to be the first again now that they were in America.

"Good evening ladies and folks, and welcome to Bridge Rock!"

The live crowd roared with applause and screams. They did their usual beginning show antics, and then Bo, the chicken, came and got him. When he arrived on stage, if the crowd roared, they nearly burst through the roof when they saw him.

Just what he needed after leaving Kyouko's café.

Thinking of Kyouko's café, halfway through the interview, he cut in.

"Hey…have ever you heard or seen _Fairytale Café: Kyouko_?"

Recognition and friendly smiles bloomed on their faces, replacing the polite smiles they had on before. The shortest one, Hikaru he remembered, spoke up.

"I know what place you're talking about! We went there…what, a week ago?" He turned to his friend's for confirmation, and the tallest, Shin'ichi, nodded.

"Oh man the food there was _DELICIOUS, _you have not eaten real food unless you've eaten Kyouko's Japanese specialty. And her desserts!"

"Dude, you're drooling." Shin'ichi pointed out.

He interrupted again. "So wait, you've been there?"

All three nodded. "Yeah."

Hikaru piped up. "Have you been there?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I saw it once on the road and then you reminded me of it."

Shin'ichi nodded his head thoughtfully. "You should go. Other than the absolutely excellent food, the service there? Fantastic. Kyouko actually gave us the desserts for free the first time we went. Ever since we've gone back three or four times."

"By any chance, is the Kyouko you're talking about have golden eyes?" He asked, jealousy burning through him.

Yuusei nodded. "Yep. In fact, we were talking about it when she came and gave us our drinks. Her face was so red, it was comical."

Then Hikaru noticed how far off the show plan they were and steered back to the original point. "Well, Fuwa Sho's image doesn't exactly fit in with that kind of café."

He got the hint, and so laughed. "No. I'm not into 'fairies'."

With that, the show went on as planned, and he headed home afterwards, thoughtful. _I'll go back to see Kyouko tomorrow._

So, with no thought of troubling his manager for free time, he went to sleep, dreaming of laughing golden eyes turning into ice blue cold eyes, and then into merciless menacing green eyes.

The next day, Friday, once he convinced his manager to get him some free time, he walked to where he remembered the café to be at.

The bell that rung where he entered wasn't even noticed over the noise a crowd people were making in a corner. Curious, he made his way to the crowd, and with his slightly taller height, stared over their heads.

Kyouko was chopping meat while talking to the customers surrounding the kitchen/bar area she worked out. She cooked the now chopped meat in the pan, before placing the meat into a towel, and then she placed cut up vegetables in the pan. She talked animatedly as she did each step, and when there was lull in the cooking process as she waited, she would answer one of the customer's questions.

Periodically she would allow some of them to cook a portion of the meal or help her, and she did it in such a way, even he, someone who'd never cooked a single thing in his entire life, understood the process and felt confidant he could make it on his own.

"Done!" She announced with a breath taking smile, and everyone clapped as she dished out the meal for everyone to eat. When she saw him, her smile dropped, and she almost dropped the plates in her hand.

Someone caught her attention though, and she smiled beautifully again. Angry and jealous, he turned to look at who she smiled at. It was the tall dude again, and he was talking to her about something. Kyouko frowned, before reaching behind her and grabbing a smaller plate, with a smaller portion of the Chicken Fried Rice she'd just made.

Kyouko pushed it into his hands, and he heard her threat clear as day.

"I'll spoon feed you if I have to!"

That did it. Sho marched over to her and roughly grabbed her arm, making her drop the serving tray filled with plates of the food.

He jerked her violently and spat, "What? Now you're shacking up with an American because a Japanese man wasn't good enough for you? I see how you got to own this café. I thought you were the innocent type Kyouko." Spoon feed the man? Was she his wife? What happened to the innocent modest Kyouko? Was she so intimate with the man that she wasn't embarrassed by PDA?

His accusation made her blush furiously and gasp, and she stomped on his foot, _hard. _Kyouko jerked her arm away from him, and spat back out, "How dare you accuse me of something like that! Shotarou, I thought you knew better than that…? Get out, you hear me? OUT!" She tried to kick him, but the tall dude intervened and gently grabbed her hand.

"Kyouko, don't." The guy said.

She stopped everything and looked at him limply. She turned her back to Sho, and said brokenly. "Please Sho…enough. Haven't you ruined my life enough already? Don't ruin what I love here too. Please…"

Her sad broken voice got through his angry haze, and his shoulders dropped. Her slight frame was shaking, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. The tall guy put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and spoke soft words to her. She nodded and went into the kitchen, leaving them alone. Or as alone as they could get in a crowded café.

The man turned to him. "You heard her. Get out. Now."

Sho glared at him, but when he saw the man's white fists shaking in anger, he sneered and backed off, before stalking out of the café.

He walked down the street, hands tucked into his pant's pockets. The guilt swirled in him, and his heart thudded painfully. He'd hurt Kyouko, again. He'd almost made her cry. He had to apologize. What if she made that heart-breaking face, the one she made when her mother had ignored her or hit her? Because of him? No, he had to apologize.

Determined, Sho walked away. He would come back. Even if she hated him, if he apologized, she would forgive him and come back, right?

Of course he was right.

* * *

><p><strong>Every time Kyouko sees Sho, it's a painful reminder at how useless her life was. And how much better and greater her life was in America (hey, it's not called the Land of Opportunity for nothing!) She started all over here, and Sho came in and reminded her of all the ugly and hurt that she tried to leave back in Japan. <strong>

**So, do you think I portrayed Sho right? I can't stand his patronizing self-serving way of thinking he has, so this chapter was a struggle for me as I had to rewrite a lot of Sho's thoughts and feelings. Like at the end "**Of course he was right**" was something I think Sho would assume automatically.**

**Who blew up his ego so big? I'm sure Kyouko's adoring doting on him probably helped in some way… you reap what you sow, right?**

**I hoped you enjoy this, and please review! ^^ Seriously, I mean review. I get more Alerts and Favorites than Reviews. **


	5. Kuu Part 1

**I had quite a lot of difficulty writing this chapter. Kuu isn't hard to portray, but I had major writer's block with this. I apologize for the absurd wait.**

**Kuu is talking to his son one night, when he noticed something **_**different**_**, with his son. Son he rushes over to New York City, and from Kuon's nosy gossiping secretary, finds out Kuon has a love-interest. One that feeds him lunch.**

**There will be two parts to Kuu's story in Fairytale Café. He's quite an important turning point for Kyouko, sort of…**

**New character Alert! An OC, but has been mentioned before. **

**Disclaimers apply.**

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Café: Kuu (Part 1)<strong>

* * *

><p>Walking quickly, he barely noticed his surroundings, yet took a keen distant observation of it all as he talked rapidly on his phone, explaining the dire situation.<p>

"-not at work! Kuon isn't at work, right now! And what's worse, Boss, much, much worse is that he's willingly on a lunch break! I mean, of course i noticed he was weird over the phone, I'm his father! He seemed so much more happier somehow, which of course he tried to hide, but I still noticed, but anyways, he was happier! Boss, something made him happy, so when I called his secretary, Johanna, she said it was because of a _girl_! A girl, boss! Can you believe it? I'm on my way to see her right now, because no doubt my son is with her, eating at her café-"

"_Shut up! My god, you act like you haven't seen the boy in years when you saw him just this past Christmas! So what if Kuon's found someone? He's a grown man; he's going to fall in love at one point."_ Lory's voice over the phone clearly displayed his aggravation with him, although a wry sense of amusement was there too.

He noticed. "Boss, it's not funny! Kuon's _in love_! Love! My boy is growing up-"

"_Which he's been doing for some time now. In fact I think he's taller than you-"_

"By four inches and a half, and I know he's been growing! I've been watching him get bigger, and bigger, and bigger-"

"_And bigger, and bigger, and bigger until you couldn't hold him in your lap anymore."_ Lory really couldn't help but tease him, could he?

He nodded sadly. "He got too big around the age of…ten I think. He said, 'Dad! I have some pride, you know? I'm growing up, I don't need to sit in my daddy's lap anymore!' Do you how much I cried after that?"

He could almost see Lory's exasperated shake of his head as he said, _"I swear Kuu, you're worse than all the loving father's put together watching their first baby girl get married!"_

He was insulted. Badly. "Lory! Of course i am! I love my son more than the universe and stars and suns and planets put together, and then more!"

"_Even more than Julie?"_

He already felt consternation about having to explain to Lory how much he loved his son, but it was nothing compared to being asked to compare his love for Julie and Kuon. "Lory, you know I can't compare them!"

Lory sighed. _"I know you loveable fool. Are you there yet? It's been half an hour already."_

He nodded. He was just around the corner from the street the café was on. In his mind, he quickly calculated the distance and time it would take for Kuon to walk from his job to here. Less than ten minutes, he surmised. Kuon's building was literally two blocks and a corner away.

"_Kuu?"_

Realizing Lory obviously couldn't see him nodding his head, Kuu affirmed he was there. "Boss, I'm here, nice place, but I'll talk to you later."

"_I want all the details!"_

Kuu smiled at his nosy friend and snapped his phone shut. He tapped it musingly against his chin as he pondered the convenience of his son's office less than ten minutes from the girl's work place. Was it fate? He quickly erased such thoughts from his mind. It couldn't possibly be.

Luckily, today was a particularly depressing day, and most people elected to have lunch in their buildings than to come out. The street was relatively empty save him and a man in a suit who walked parallel him. Through the window surrounded in ivy in front, he could see inside the café. A girl with long hair and a trim figure was going from table to table, taking orders, putting food down, and chatting with a few customers. Frequently she went back to a booth; from where he could just make out gleaming locks of hair. After maneuvering a bit, he found an angle where he could barely see a profile of his son.

A happy smile lit Kuon's features up, and even from here he could see the blissful aura that glowed around him. He was tempted to just go inside, but knew the damage it would do to their relationship as father and son. Kuon would see it as him not trusting his son to run his own life, and he would rather die than let Kuon believe that.

The café was packed, and his stomach began sinking as he realized how much busier he would make her café if he ate there. No. He shook the guilt off. If she couldn't handle his stomach on an everyday basis, then she couldn't marry his son!

Satisfied, he settled discreetly against a building and waited for Kuon to leave. Twenty-five minutes later (and dangerously close to the end of his lunch break), Kuon walked out, a loving smile gracing his face. The girl waved at him good-bye, laughing at something he said.

A few minutes later, he walked in, heading straight for his son's recently vacated seat. A merry bell announced his entrance, and the girl looked towards him, greeting him. He ignored her and sat down abruptly, drumming his long fingers impatiently on the table top. He was an actor. All he had to do was to act like he hated the girl. He'd done so millions of times before when he'd been cast as a villain, so why couldn't he bring himself to glare menacingly at the young woman who walked throughout the café?

_Because, _his conscious murmured, encircling his mind, _she's a sweet girl who hasn't done anything wrong to deserve your wrath. You're too much of a good guy to scare a little girl, ain't ya? _

A sweeter voice huffed out, _what's wrong with you? Why are you even thinking of scaring this girl anyways? Aren't you a gentleman? What would Julie say?_

The sadistic cold voice caressed his inner ear, smiling impishly, pushing the sweeter angelic voice from his mind. _You need to test her, since Kuon is obviously serious and head over heels for her; it's your job to make sure she isn't some lowly skank trying to get his money. You know Americans, they're vulgar, especially the females in New York!_

He scowled. Hey! I'm an American too you know! His mind processed what he'd just done and he groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. Now he was talking to a mini devil and angel. Lory was rubbing off on him, or maybe it was just himself. He knew he was just as eccentric as Lory, if just a bit less.

"Good afternoon sir. I hope you've had a good day so far."

Startled, he jerked his head up from his hands, glaring at the girl who was suddenly by his table, all the while ignoring the snickering mirth-less glee of the colder voice in his mind. She didn't pay attention to his glare, didn't notice, or ignored it. Instead, she gently placed a menu in front of his elbows, asking if he had a drink in mind.

He snarled. "I just got here, how do you expect me to know what beverages you have here? These Japanese! Just because all of your restaurants are the same doesn't mean everyone knows what you serve here!"

He saw a hint of a scowl flash across her face, her eyes darkening from their bright golden hue to something denser and colder, before returning to normal. She bowed. "I'm very sorry, sir. I'll be back in a few minutes to check your order. Do you need anything else?"

"Be back? Be back?" He repeated, voice rising. "First you insult my intelligence and now you're going to make me wait? No, no, no. _You _wait right there." He pointed to where her feet were still at, next to his table. His evil malicious role took a silent glee when her face darkened, but his good gentleman side felt guilt smashing him to bits and drowning him in some more thick syrupy guilt. He ignored the gentlemanly side and read each selection on the menu before finally flipping back to the first two pages and making his choice.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Speedily, he said his dish of choice and drink, and was quirked when she didn't write it down. She nodded instead, and continued to stand there, obviously waiting for his signal to go. He raised his hand, spreading his fingers apart.

Noticing the curious gesture, she tilted her head slightly, questioningly. Grinning evilly, he said, "I want fifty portions of it."

He could tell she struggled to keep her jaw together, and not on the floor. "Sir, are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Anything else sir?"

He shook his head no, guilt plaguing him and grabbing his tongue. She inclined her head, before leaving to finally address other customers. He watched her go for a moment, the actor side of him noting her unusual grace as she walked. Her posture was quite good too; she wouldn't be a bad model-

He pinched his leg, sighing. He was such a contradiction, slapping her with verbal insults one minute, complimenting her and suggesting her to be a model the next. He would push the actor side of him away if it weren't for the fact that he needed to act at the moment, and that he was an actor to his soul. It would be impossible to push that part of him away.

Through the window in the wall, that had no glass he realized, interested, he could see the busy form of a boy, cutting the vegetables his meal required rapidly, the knife flying. He was tall, shorter than his son, but nonetheless of a lengthy height, and had a slim lean build, with a shock of thick red hair. Kyouko walked towards the bar, and gave him another order. He could barely over hear a name, "Michael" or other.

Looking around, she nodded slightly and slipped through a door. Then she was in the kitchen, her waist apron now covering her chest as well. She helped the boy, and began cooking food in a pot, tossing it in the air in a frightening way that defied gravity. He watched, raptured. It wasn't an everyday thing to find such a good cook in such a young woman.

Forcing his eyes away from the kitchen –he couldn't help admiring their cooking skills - he glanced around the café. Immediately his eyes were snagged by a cold pair of blue eyes, which were glaring at him ferociously.

The girl they belonged to was behind a glass counter with a register on top, various delicious looking desserts displayed proudly underneath. She stood, arms crossed, body weight resting on one foot. He guessed correctly that the girl was most likely a friend of the chef, or something along those lines. He made a mental note to include this in any further trash talking he might do. He shuddered lightly, ashamed of his thoughts. He hoped he wasn't turning into a despicable guy.

_Think of Kuon's future happiness! Of the family's future if the girl is really some lowly skank undeserving of Kuon's love!_

He resumed looking around the café, unable to escape to bubbling warmth as the interior matched the exterior of the café. Pretty vines were here and there, spontaneous flowers decorating the vines. The ceiling was somewhat low, though the building was big, and a peek of a staircase through the open kitchen window said there was a second story. Sweet and charming, even though he didn't know the girl well, he guessed it suited her.

He could see how Kuon would like this place, what with New York being so lacking in nature, this cottage like café would be like a breath of fresh air.

His eyes trailed over the customers, their happy smiles as they eagerly dug into their food, their sweet smiles as the girl passed. He could easily spot the frequent customers, the one the girl would stop to ask an odd question, and how easily they answered. They trusted her.

Another strike against the possibility of the girl being money-greedy.

Something akin to relief washed through him, and he realized that in the short time since he'd spoken to her, he'd found the girl charming. She wasn't quick to lose her temper, and if she was, she hid it well. She had great customer-service, and if the customers' happy smiles as they ate their food were any indication, she was a great cook. But still, it could be an act!

_Just face it; you don't want to be nasty to this girl anymore. _The cold voice sneered, giving off the image of spitting at him. _You don't have the guts to face up to her you big lump of mush. _

He was startled at how accurate the voice was, and a part of him noted that most likely the voice was his conscious, but a greater part of him steeled himself to further up the nastiness. He had to make sure. Kuon had experienced far too many greedy hateful girls. _Yeah, one too many. _But it was no surprise to him that Kuon hadn't found _the_ girl. After all, it wouldn't be easy to find someone who could match his degree in greatness.

Before his mind could completely go off hay wire complimenting his son, the girl suddenly was back, her arms laden with trays carrying his food, a tray on her head, and her hip and foot easily pushing a cart carrying more of his food.

He'd ordered a soup, and she'd found several large bowls, each once about three-four regular size portions worth. In all, there were about twenty bowls, and she expertly maneuvered the cart into a niche by the table, so that he could grab more bowls as he ate.

"Here you go sir, fifty portions worth of chicken soup, and a sweetened ice tea. Do you need anything else?"

He stared a moment at the delicious food, before pasting on a frown and dismissing the girl rudely. "No. Go. Let me eat in peace. Don't bother me until I'm done!" He said shortly, waving his hands.

He was looking at his food, but he still caught the slight scowl and down-turn of her lips that tried to force away her polite smile. It lost. Her smile still stayed, and there was nothing about her that seemed to say he had aggravated her in some way.

Her refusal to be anger somehow spurred him on, and he took on the challenge of angering the girl. Besides, he was morbidly curious to see how she'd react in anger.

He ate the food, throughout it all he giving silent kudos to the girl and badgering Kuon for picking a girl who could cook so well (in his mind, he made it Kuon's fault he had to be nasty to the girl). It was exceptionally delicious, and the spices and herbs she must have used made the not-so-original dish very-original. It was the best chicken soup he'd ever tasted, despite the dish being so common.

Just then, a giggling group of teenage girls with bleached hair and skimpy outfits walked in, glancing around the place with sneering faces. He recognized the type, and as much as he tried to escape stereo-typing these girls made it obvious. They were only here to ridicule the place and make themselves feel better in the process.

They sat, and Kuon's crush came up to them with menus. "What would you like to drink?" She asked. Or he guessed, since they had sat out of earshot from him.

The teenage girls took the menu, pinching it between two fingers as if it were something disgusting to hold. A wrinkle in their nose, one said, "Give us a minute! Geez!", drawing out the "ee's", her voice overly loud and obnoxious.

The chef nodded and moved away. He started counting, half-heartedly trying to see if she learned from him.

She had. On the dot, sixty seconds later, the chef stopped by the teenage girls, and once again, he guessed she asked for their drink.

The other replied this time, arrogantly tossing back a strip of hot-pink high-lighted hair over her shoulder. She said something he couldn't quite catch, and then the other girl said, "Umm, I don't know. I didn't really look at the menu…um, a coke? But make it a _diet_, I _am _trying to lose weight here."

The girls giggled, and the chef nodded before moving away. She came to his table, and he steeled his resolve. When she asked if he wanted anything, he asked, "Yeah, what's your name?"

She stared at him for a few moments, and it felt like she was looking at his bare soul. Nodding slightly, her face was perfectly expressionless, but he could feel a stiff coil of anger in her as she said, "My name is Kyouko Mogami."

Smiling, he said "And mine's Kuu. Nice to meet you."

When he said his name, he thought he saw a glimmer of something spark in her eyes, but the moment passed, though the oppressing aura lifted a slight bit, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. Though her face remained as passive as ever, he could feel the anger in her. God forbid he ever make her mad. _But you already did_, the sly voice cackled.

He moved his mouth side to side, trying to evaluate the girl. He had immediately slotted her as a money-greedy fake, as unfair as that was, but after being served and cooked for by her, his evaluation changed. She was honestly a good person, very good, which was rare these days. And man could she _cook_. It was almost unfair that Kuon would get the wondrous cook for a wife.

After he shooed her away, stating he had nothing else he wanted, he relaxed in his chair.

Amused with just watching her as she cooked, he occasionally people-watched, slipping his sun glasses back on so as to not freak the other customers out. Really, it was a wonder no one had noticed who he was. Then again, it wasn't like it was in his profile or bio that he came to a café like this.

The bell rang merrily over the door, and Kyouko poked her head from the kitchen out the window in the wall, a grin splitting her face. "Ishibashi-onii-sans! I'll be right with you!" Before they could even reply her head was back in the kitchen, the sound of chopping renewed.

Curiously, he turned to look at the new-comers and nearly choked on his sip of tea when he saw who it was.

Hikaru, Yuusei, and Shinichi all walked casually and comfortably down the aisle his booth was on, further down towards the back of the store and towards the long glass counter. They all were smiling as Yuusei excitedly recounted some tale, his hands moving wildly.

Really, did lots of big stars come to this tiny establishment? Was it some kind of get away for big wigs to relax unknown at? It must be, he thought idly as Kyouko approached the Ishibashi bros, a smile on her face again, her eyes twinkling.

For a split second, he entertained the thought that she might like one of them, but just as easily brushed it off. She had turned such a happy smiling face on the other long black-haired girl behind the counter countless times since he'd been here. It must be a face for friends. But, hadn't she smiled like that at Kuon? It was an unsettling thought, when he knew his son was so enamored with her.

He could just over-hear their conversation, and strained to hear just that.

"Alright, what's next Kyouko-chan?"

Her lips were turned up in an easy casual smile, and he noticed the very big difference between the one she wore now and the one she wore for him. It made him feel…left out, as irrational as that was.

"Well, last time you had chicken teriyaki, now it's chicken fried rice." She said.

He heard a grown, and a voice saying, "We're _still _in the chicken section? How many dishes do you have under there?"

"I don't know. I never really counted." Kyouko said, her smile widening at the boys' discomfort.

"Well, there's a lot!"

She laughed at the obvious distress in the man's voice, before taking their drinks and confirming the chicken fried rice order.

She wrote it down this time and gave it to the cook, before surveying the café. She'd checked pretty much everyone, and no one needed anything. Smiling slightly, she sighed and turned to go help in the kitchen.

But right before she could go through the door that led to it, one of the teenage girls from earlier shouted out loudly, "MISS! Hey, come here!"

He saw Kyouko still for a moment, before turning back around and approaching the teenage girl's table. Kuu tried to keep the ugly sneer of his face. The blonde teenage girl was rude, crude, loud, obnoxious…she was an eyesore.

Kyouko stayed at their table for a minute or so as the pink-striped haired girl talked, her left hand moving side to side and gesturing weirdly. Kyouko said something. Pink haired girl attempted to say something when her ruder louder friend interrupted. "Ugh! You _Chinese_," she sneered, "are _so _cheap. Your food's all greasy and nasty. Why did we even come _here_?" she tilted her head towards her friend, but continued to stare at Kyouko degradingly.

In a flash, he was next to Kyouko, staring the rude teenagers down.

Startled, the blonde straightened from her slouched position in her chair, and glared at him. Her cheap highlighter blonde hair was hurting his eyes, and he squinted at it, making his glare seem worse.

"What?" she demanded, shifting defensively.

"I suggest," he started, looming over her, "that you leave this establishment. You're being rude, crude, racist, and _ugly_. You're distracting other customers, and frankly, you're pissing me off. Can you go?"

She was shocked, the teenager. Her jaw dropped open, and she just stared at Kuu. Idly, he thought she looked a bit like a dead fish, but didn't comment on it, simply staring back.

Her friend shifted, before standing awkwardly. The pink-haired girl grabbed her brown messenger bag that swung heavily with beaded things and strings, slipping it over her head jerkily. She passed Kyouko, before stopping and saying, "I'm…sorry for the trouble. Here, for our meals." She pushed a wad of money into Kyouko's surprised hands and left the café quickly.

As soon as her friend gave Kyouko money, the blonde startled awake it seemed, for she jerked and shot up in her seat. "Tracey! Tracey, wait up!" She cried, before grabbing her things hastily. As she ran towards the door, she threw another nasty glare at Kuu and Kyouko, before leaving.

The café stayed silent, shocked, but soon a slow buzz generated. Kuu and Kyouko remained silent, standing in front of the empty table a moment. In a daze, Kyouko suddenly gathered the things on the table and placed them on a tray she'd had under her arm, her eyes far-away.

Once the glasses and little bits of litter had been placed on the tray, Kyouko almost left Kuu still standing. But she stopped, and bit her lip.

She looked up into Kuu's face, and smiled hesitantly. "Thank you, sir, for helping me. I appreciate it."

A warm smile tugged the corners of his lips up, and he shook his head. "No, I should be apologizing to you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

* * *

><p><strong>HMD Notes: The ending is a bit…blegh for me. I sorta forced my way through it. If you think Kuu is a bit OCC towards the end, being <strong>_**that **_**blatantly rude towards the blonde teenager, might I remind you that he was just as rude towards Kyouko during his arc in Skip Beat. Besides, I'm sure America has affected him a bit.**

**Michael, mentioned in Chapter 2, comes to help in the busy aftermath of the unrealistic advertising on the Ishibashi bro's show the previous chapter. He IS a capable cook. He is NOT a main factor in this story. Or will he be…? Most likely not~**

**There will be a "**_Fairytale Café: Kuu (Part 2)_**" . This isn't the last of him! **

**Please point out any typos! And please review! Thank you for reading!**


	6. Kuu Part 2

**I'm not exactly knowledgeable in the cooking department, or anything that concerns it and learning to be a professional. If you have any corrections/suggestions, they're VERY welcome!**

**It's amazing how time can fly by, without you noticing…**

**This chapter takes place roughly a half week or week after Part 1. ****REMINDER! This Kyouko is NOT revenge-obsessed.**

**Second Part of "Fairytale Café: Kuu"! **

* * *

><p><strong>Fairytale Café: Kuu (part 2)<strong>

* * *

><p>"Mr. Kuu-"<p>

"What did I say?"

"-Father, why do you always wait until Mr. Kuon has left before you come in?" So, she'd noticed.

He sighed heavily, and then tossed himself sideways onto the booth's cushions. He rested his chin on his wrist and stared at the dirty material of the rag he held in his other hand. Kyouko stood patiently next to him, a serving tray kept neatly between her body and arm, her other arm's hand resting lightly on the top of the tray.

"If he saw me here, if he even _knew _I was here, he would be upset." he snorted, before correcting himself. "No, he'd be livid. He'd think I thought that he couldn't take care of himself." His eyebrows drew together, forming wrinkles on his forehead. "It's upsetting actually. Especially since I'm seeing-"

Oops. He quickly chopped his sentence in half, sitting up straight and sliding gracefully out from the booth. "-a customer needing a refill of his tea."

"Oh!" Kyouko softly cried, turning around to fulfill the impromptu order. He smiled at her back, relieved to have weaseled himself around the mistake. He almost said, _especially since I'm seeing the love of his life_.

But, from what he'd seen, Kyouko wasn't even open to the _thought _of accepting romantic love. Or love period. She shied away from it like it was some contagious disease of the same caliber as leprosy. Or as if it was some sick combination of a hairy spider and gooey slug. That had Sho's face.

The ugly thought cheered him up considerably, and he quickly wiped down the table he'd just been sitting at, humming quietly.

The bell rang as the door opened, and three rambunctious young men walked in, brightening his mood even more. It was always incredibly hilarious to see Michael and Hikaru glare jealously at one another over Kyouko. In fact, he looked forward to this each day he came to help Kyouko out.

He walked over to their booth and slapped the rag on the tabletop. "So, what's up next?"

Kyouko set three menus down, and Yuusei immediately picked his up, scanning the beef section. "I believe a beef sandwich? What on earth is that?"

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory Yuusei," Hikaru stated dryly, a small smirk hanging on his lips.

"Beef-sandwich. A sandwich made with beef." Shin'ichi stated seriously, a solemn look on his face.

"Okay okay! I've just never heard of it." Yuusei replied defensively, scooting back in his seat and bringing his hands up, warding off their sarcastic remarks.

Kyouko giggled and he grinned as he grabbed the dish rag and left to help in the kitchen.

As soon as the door swung shut softly behind him, Michael growled in frustration. "Can't she tell he's obviously flirting with her? For God's sake, how much bolder can someone get?"

Thinking of a certain beach blond, he replied, "A lot more."

Michael "harrumphed" and turned back to the simmering pot on the stove, giving it two quick short stirs and replacing the lid. He turned the heat up a bit, before moving to the refrigerator and retrieving an assortment of vegetables. He moved to clean the counter and began chopping the greens.

The tall actor watched him for a moment, absorbed with the confident way Michael moved as he cooked. "Who taught you how to cook?" he asked the young man.

Said man startled, the actor's sudden voice after the period of silence causing his knife to slip and hit the counter hard. He glared slightly at him, before answering. "My mother died when she was young. I had to learn to cook, and eventually, I grew to really like it. I'm planning on joining the field professionally."

"Really?" he asked, intrigued, He leaned a hip against a counter as he turned his body side ways to face Michael. His hands thoroughly massaged spices and creams on the cold breasts of chicken in an unadorned white bowl.

"Yes. I'm still learning though, but Kyouko hired me." The cook sighed dreamily, and the actor chuckled. It was so, so, _so_, obvious. He pitied them all, including his son, for chasing after the woman who'd closed her heart to love. Of course, Kuon could shake the shackles off her heart and get it to swell with love again.

"Michael!"

"YES!" Michael shouted, his knife slipping again and a bit of green flying. It soared across the kitchen and slapped itself onto the young woman who'd just approached the counter.

The kitchen was quiet as Kyouko somberly lifted a hand and picked the vegetable bit from her cheek, and examined it silently on the tip of her finger. As if a switch had been slipped, she and Michael began laughing and giggling. Even the actor let a few chuckles slip out again.

"Michael," Kyouko began her tone jokingly somber. "You need to be focused in the kitchen, not talking it up with other _workers_." She eyed the tall blond, who was still leaning against the counter top, his hands and fingers covered in the spice and sauce the chicken breasts had required.

"You dare tell me to work?" he exclaimed, standing upright in mock indignation. The effect was ruined with his red hands though, and Kyouko simply giggled before walking away.

The kitchen was obediently silent for a few moments, both men seemingly absorbed in their own cooking, when he said, "So, Kyouko huh?"

Michael sighed and his shoulders dropped, the metal ladle coming to a decidedly sad clang against its fellow metal pot. "Yea. Pathetic, isn't it? What's a poor wanna-be cook got against a huge popular star?"

He chuckled amusedly, and laughed even more when the lovesick man glared angrily at him. "What's so funny?" Michael demanded, red tinting his cheeks.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking of my own days of chasing after a pretty young woman."

"Did you catch her?" The young cook asked hopefully.

"Of course. And kept her chained to me ever since, my beautiful jewel."

"Well, you're tall, and handsome, I'm sure that worked wonders in your favor," Michael said bitterly. He snorted rudely, waving his hands in denial.

"Oh _please_. She was surrounded by men just as handsome every day. She was a model you know. I had to work for her, like any man should do for a good woman. And just as you should for _her_." He knew it was quite contradictory to his wishes to support Michael, when his own son was chasing for the same girl, but, even though his son would cherish Kyouko as much as the next man if he ever caught her, Kyouko needed someone who would work long and hard for her. IF Kuon didn't do it, he wanted the next best thing.

"Thanks," Michael said, a huge confident smile replacing his downcast frown. "I'll try my best! Now, let's get you done, you persistent slow piece of meat!" He exclaimed, glaring mockingly down at the pot before him.

* * *

><p>_--_

* * *

><p>"Moko-san!" He could hear Kyouko's cheery voice ring throughout the shop as she greeted her best friend home from the usual job hunting afternoon.<p>

The sun had set some hours ago, and he was busy wiping down the final few tables. The café was silent after the last customer had gone, with he and Kyouko working companionably together in silence.

He found these silences nice and warm, relaxing even. Working in her café brought back memories of his much younger days, his teens really, when acting was a goal like chasing the sun, and when the only future he saw was washing dishes and cooking up good meals in a neighborhood restaurant.

Maybe that's why he sympathized with Michael, because he too had once earned his living in a kitchen.

"Mo! Get away from me!"

"But Moko-san! I haven't seen you since this _morning_!"

"Five hours and thirteen minutes now stop strangling me!"

He snorted and choked trying to hold in his laughter. So Kyouko wasn't the _only one _keeping track of time. It was…amusing to say the very least, watching the daily show of friendship between the two girls (one quite willingly, the other unwillingly).

He felt the cold boring of a glare aimed at him, and turned around to see blue eyes writhing in icy flames at the obvious laughter he was trying to hide. It made him want to laugh even more at her obvious embarrassment.

"Moko-san, how was this audition? Did you pass?" _Audition_? _Does she want to be a celebrity?_

Kanae sighed exhaustedly, before plunking herself down in a booth. "No." She said shortly. "I was too _mature_ for their image. What, did they want me to put my hair in pigtails and prance around singing _lollipop lollipop oh lolly lolly_?" She said the lyrics so flatly; he had to choke on his laughter again. Really, this girl was hilarious.

Apparently, Kyouko thought the same, because she giggled as she sat across her best friend. "Well, at least you finally decided to give this audition a chance."

"And I never will again. What a failure." _Oh no, did she seriously just say that?_

"Are you really an actress? How can you cut off opportunities like that, before they've had time to grow?"

"_What_?"

He stalked over to where they sat, arms folded, dirty dish rag rubbing against his arm. "You heard me. You're just like the spoiled ugly meat no one wants to buy!"

"Spoiled ugly _meat_!" Kanae screeched, shooting up in her chair angrily. "How dare you!"

"How dare I?" he exclaimed. "How dare _you_! How do you know you aren't cut out for the role? There are _plenty _of times where a director and actor disagree, but that doesn't mean you aren't cut out for the character."

"And how do you know all this, Mr. Dirty Dish Rag!"

He wanted to scowl fiercely right then, but suddenly, he remembered how long she was gone every day, and how tired she was when she came home. _She really is serious about this, she just needs a bit of guidance_.

"Who am I? I'm Kuu Hizuri! The international celebrity!" At their blank faces, he felt a bit stupid for boasting about it, but forged onwards. "I've been an actor most of my life, I know the ins and outs of show business like the back of my hand!"

Kanae eyed him critically, sizing him up he supposed, her own arms folded.

A long pause followed his words, before she finally murmured. "Fine. So say I believe you, explain how repeatedly trying out for a role I suck at helps get me opportunities?"

He stuck his nose in the air arrogantly as he baited, "I'm not going to give advice if you're going to be so sarcastic about it."

He knew he hit a few weak spots with his sentence, but she'd have to learn to overcome her huge pride to get anywhere in showbiz, let alone life.

Her inner struggle took a few moments, but finally, with gritted teeth, she repeated her question. "What advice would you give me?"

Not exactly satisfactory, but they could work on that. "Well, first of all, that pride is going to get you nowhere. You need to learn when having some is good, and when it's not. And a true actress would want to experience every character there is, would want to stretch her wings and try to be the best there is."

He could tell she'd never had guidance like this before, and for a good two hours, he continued talking to her, answering her questions, and then challenging her with some of his own.

* * *

><p>_--_

* * *

><p>"<em>So, how is Kuon?"<em>

"Good, I guess." he replied, his hands swiftly assembling a sandwich the size of which the likes of Godzilla would eat.

"_I guess? What does __**I guess**__ mean?" _Julie demanded, her voice dropping low in a bad imitation of his.

"I guess is I guess. I've been busy."

"_Busy…with…what exactly?" _Julie's slow voice made his appetite disappear, and in his haste to appease her growing suspicious anger, his sandwich fell to its doom.

"Nooo! My beautiful sandwich! I'm so sorry I didn't get to eat you!"

"_Kuu, are you ignoring me in favor of a sandwich?"_

"Yes?" he answered distractedly, said sandwich being cloned. "Now, where did that mustard go? I _swear_, it was _right there_."

"_Kuu_."

"Ah. There it is. Now, what were you asking?"

Julie's soft chuckles warmed his heart, and he told her so. He could imagine her blush, and the playful smile that curled her lips upward and dimpled her left cheek. _"What have you been busy with?" s_he asked pleasantly.

He closed his eyes momentarily, and against his eyelids, he could see her, lounging comfortably on a loveseat, hugging a purple pillow she loved, one hand cradling the phone to her ear. Her closed eyes, hiding the pristine blue, her long wavy blonde hair, falling just over one shoulder…

"I've been busy thinking of you," he murmured, settling in and reclining in a chair, his eyes still closed.

"_Oh hush,"_ she whispered. A few moments of silence passed, before she said quietly_, "I miss you."_

"I do too. But I can't come back yet."

"_Why?" _

"Because, I've found another daughter, who's a bit broken inside. So is her friend, who wants to be an actress. I've got to help them."

"_Like a diamond in the rough?"_

"Exactly." Warmth bubbled up inside him, spreading throughout him like a warm drink on a cold night. She understood. It always relieved him when she did.

* * *

><p>_--_

* * *

><p>"So, I grabbed his fist, leaned in real close, and-" he cut off as the bell jangled over the café door, looking up at the sound.<p>

"Oh, don't stop! What happened next? What did you say?"

Kyouko's please fell silent as she turned to look at what had caught his attention.

Standing in the doorway, framed in the harsh glow of nearby streetlight, stood Sho, one hand resting against the doorframe for support. His body sagged, and in the other hand he held a jacket tightly.

"Kyouko."

His soft voice carried in the near empty café, and the few customers left turned to look at where the source of the sudden tension was coming from.

"Sho." Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it, despite being right next to her.

The musician looked down when her lips moved, and Kuu could read the shame, the anger, the pride that weighed the young man down. Kuu wanted to do something, anything, to break the tension, but it was like there was a bubble wrapped around them that hadn't been there last time, something that didn't allow him to interfere.

"Can we…talk?"

Kuu suspected this was the first time Sho had asked Kyouko for anything, and suspected she would turn him down. He was shocked when she said, "What do you want to say?"

Sho was silent a few moments, before saying, "Can't we go somewhere else?"

"No. You can say it here." Her strong steady voice made him swell with pride. She must be furious. She must be.

There was tense silence that grew and stretched between the two young adults, and then Sho said, "I wanted to…thank you, for making sure I was alright…and apologize for what I did."

Kyouko's acidic tone made Kuu flinch with shock, and fear. "Apologize?" Her harsh laugh grated against his ears. "Do you think a simple 'sorry' will make up for what you did? The damage you've done? If that was true, there wouldn't be a need for hell."

Her voice was steady, her voice staying the same volume. But, despite her lowered voice, he could still feel the deep dark feeling swelling within the words. It was amazing, really, that she wasn't yelling. Pride in him swelled to even greater proportions as he realized, truly, what a great young woman she was, and how much she was healing.

Sho had flinched and stayed silent at her harsh quiet words, continuing to bore holes into his converse. There was tense silence. Finally, after a few minutes of discomfort, he spoke up. "Anyways, I need to thank you, for...being so nice, when you didn't have to be. It made me realize a few things…"

There was another pause, not as tense as before, but not exactly patched up. Finally, the singer lifted his head, and Kuu could read the despair clouding his brown eyes. "Please Kyouko, I'm asking for a chance." Before Kyouko's mouth could spill out the angry words her glare clearly promised, he hurried on, "I know it's going to be hard, but come on! Can you really live without me?"

Her golden cold eyes narrowed, and Kuu was frightened. This was a big moment, he knew.

"Yes. Yes I can Shotarou. And you are _not _the person I can't live without. We're done talking."

She marched forward determinedly, and Kuu followed, readily available to assist in forcing the spluttering singer out.

"Wait a moment! If I'M not, then WHO is?" The thought disturbed and unbalanced him greatly, and he placed a steadying hand on the doorway as both he and Kyouko leveled glares at him.

"Someone who's none of your business!" She half-yelled, her patience breaking and her voice finally rising in volume.

Kuu quickly stepped between her and Sho, and the young man looked up in fear. "Leave young man. Or I'll make you." His temper was rising, and his will was fluctuating. The man glared arrogantly at Kuu, before peering around him at Kyouko.

"Kyouko." He said.

She was nearly growling, before suddenly collapsing inside herself. "Go apologize to your parents. They need it more than me." Her voice was sad and soft.

After that, it wasn't that hard to escort Sho out.

A few customers left, disturbed greatly by the obvious feud in Japanese, and some stayed, offering comfort to the woman who simply smiled sweetly and said that the storm had passed already.

It wasn't until nighttime, that Kuu could find the courage to ask her, "What did you do for him?"

Her hands continued to wash the dishes rhythmically, the slosh of the dishes the only thing heard. "The day he came here, drunk, I called his manager to make sure he got back safely."

He was shocked. How could someone be so good, and so young? Watching her silently washing dishes though, the only answer he could come up with was that it was because of being hurt so often, that she could be so compassionate.

Smiling tenderly, he placed a hand on her loosely tied hair and ruffled it energetically.

"Father!" Kyouko exclaimed, whipping around to face him as she tried uselessly to battle his hand away. Her ineffective small hands against his one strong hand was very funny to him, and she realized it too when his guffaws slapped her in her face. She giggled, too, and somehow, he felt that she was a bit less sad then she was before.

It was a whisper so soft, he wasn't sure she said it.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>_--_

* * *

><p>The doorbell jingled merrily as he opened the door. He stepped in, just inside, before letting it swing shut softly behind him.<p>

He couldn't help trying to absorb the comforting details of the café, the little pieces that made it feel like home. The warm wood, the curling iron-like designs adorning the table-legs, the glass-less window in the wall…

He felt his eyes slightly mist up and rubbed a swift hand against them.

"It's time, isn't it?"

Her sad voice alerted him to her presence next to him, and he smiled somberly before turning around to face her with a brilliant grin. "Come now! Are you, my only daughter, going to send me off with that silly face? I'm not dying!" He exclaimed.

"I know." she replied, looking down. "But I'm going to miss you."

"Hey," he said, bending down slightly to look her in her eyes. "I AM coming back. Or what, were you just expecting me to never return?"

"Weren't you?"

"Hardly!" he said, hurt. "Of course I've got to come visit my daughter and shoo away all the useless unworthy males who'll try to take her away!"

"Really? You'll come visit me?" Her hopeful golden eyes shined happily, and he chuckled.

"There's nothing on earth that could keep me away!"

Her relieved expression hurt his heart, but her hug that was quick to follow soothed it. They stayed hugging for a moment, before he unbent slightly to scan the café. "Now, where is that little actress? I know she's here somewhere."

As if on cue, which it probably was, Kanae slipped out from a booth next to them. She looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Come here!"

Using his long lengthy arms, he quickly grabbed her wrist and enveloped her in the same hug as Kyouko, who giggled next to Kanae.

"Let go!"

Releasing the blushing actress, he grinned evilly. "So, what has my student got to say to me?"

Glaring for a few moments, she frowned, before returning to a neutral expression and bowing. "Thank you, sensei, for the great advice." She straightened, before continuing. "I know I'm going to win the next audition by a land-slide!"

"That's what I wanted to hear." he said, smiling hugely.

There was a short comfortable silence, before he hugged Kyouko again, and turned to the doorway. If he didn't leave now, he'd never catch his flight.

"Bye girls. Keep in touch!"

Smiling, he closed the door to the café one last time.

Kuu was halfway down the street when he felt the compulsive need to turn back for one last look…

There stood Kyouko, her long black hair loose and trailing slightly in the breeze. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she shouted, "GOOD-BYE FATHER!"

Shocked, he stared dumbfounded at her for a moment, before smirking and waving with one hand and turning around.

He was going to come back to _Fairytale Café: Kyouko_, for sure.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuu and Kuon never meet, in case any of you are wondering. <strong>

**Thanks to each and every reviewer, because every time I read a new one, I was inspired to write a bit more of this chapter. Especially "**_mrs. zala_**" who guilt-tripped me into finally finishing it.**

**Well, this is the end of Kuu's miniature arc, but not the end of Kuu's meddling.**

**Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there reading. Thank you**

**Thank you for reading, and hopefully reviewing, I really do appreciate it.**

**Big thanks to [**_Iris Anthe**], **_**who pointed out typos throughout this chapter. You've helped make it better :)**


	7. Side Story: Fake Desserts

_~Side-Story~_

Sighing heavily, the young woman tightened the fabric of her thick coat around her shoulders, shivering as she walked briskly across the street. One good thing about staying here now was the location. The café was relatively close to many of the locations she walked to daily.

Skirting the red-brick building, she turned a corner, and then another, until she was at the back. Inhaling, she quickly retrieved a key from her inner pocket, braced her poor hand for the cold, and swiped the key in and out, opening the door, and slamming it shut with her inside.

She expelled an icy breath, pulled her coat even tighter and shivered again. She couldn't quite recall if Japan had felt colder or not.

Her foot shifted backwards, before she remembered that it wasn't the custom here to remove one's shoes at the door, so she pulled it forwards and walked up the stairs situated next to the back door.

The steps creaked beneath her weight, and she smiled. It was an oddly comforting sound.

At the top of the stairs, she was about to turn left, to her room, when she noticed the bright sliver of light in the otherwise dim hallway. Turning right instead, she saw the light escaping beneath the closed door of her housemate's door. She approached the door and knocked lightly, once, twice.

She knocked sharply a third time, before opening the door.

There sat Kyouko, long black hair spilling over her shoulders and onto the table, legs that might have been tucked neatly beneath her sprawled beside her instead, a warm thick cover atop them.

There was a small smile on her sleeping face, and in her hand was a brush tipped with fine thin hairs smeared in strawberry red.

On the table Kyouko was slumped on were various pastries, of strawberries, chocolate, blueberry, of pies and cakes, brownies and cookies. But, what was weirder, was that some were a pale dirty ivory, and others fully colored, and one half-done.

Frowning, she kneeled beside the table and hesitantly picked a dessert up.

It was fake.

Completely made by Kyouko, but fake.

Turning the slice of strawberry half-completed shortcake, she mused over why Kyouko would need fake desserts, or be making them.

And then she remembered the empty new glass counter Kyouko had bought over the weekend. Kyouko had grinned, looking at the long low set slanted glass panes enclosed by thin wooden beams. She had exclaimed and ooo-ed and coo-ed and basically fell in love with the thing, and when Kanae had cleared her throat uncomfortably, had turned to look at the blue-eyed girl with shining golden eyes and said, "Wouldn't desserts look just sweet in here?"

And Kanae, being practical and brusque, had said, "Not if you plan on baking them every day. Wouldn't it be better to just have fake ones?"

"But…" Kyouko had trailed off, "the ones at the stores _look _fake." Her hands trailed down the wooden beams and sides.

Kanae shrugged uncaringly. "Then make your own."

And she had.

She'd stayed up late, had crafted and created and molded her own desserts, had pain-stakingly painted them to make them look real, just because Kanae had _suggested _it. Something warm swelled up within the young woman, and she smiled.

Softly, gently, she took the paintbrush and replaced it on the table. Grabbing a sheet off the bed, she tucked in around the young woman's sleeping shoulders. She turned off the lights, and before she closed the door, whispered a quick, almost silent, "Good night."

Before she fell asleep, she thanked whatever entity was out there for letting Mogami Kyouko burst into her life. She knew it was one of the best things to have ever happened to her.

* * *

><p><strong>This isn't "Kanae's" chapter. It's simply a little side-story I wrote. I was thinking of making it with Hikaru instead, but decided on Kanae. I know a lot of the food created in Fairytale Café is unrealistic, since it takes time to bake such desserts like the Ishibashi's got to enjoy on their first visit, but bear with me and please ignore some of the less realistic tendencies.<strong>

**Thank you, so very much, for reading so far, and reviewing. Each and every review has given me so much inspiration and the drive to write each chapter. I truly treasure each review, and I thank you very much.**

**I've been writing out chapters for all of my stories. I plan on being more than three chapters ahead for each story before I update, so be patient and please wait? I promise once that gets done, updates will be faster, and there will be less grammar mistakes.**

**I know this wasn't a very long chapter, but thank you for reading! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my stories and future chapters. **

**~HMD**


End file.
